Lessons Learned
by Angel's babe
Summary: A possible way of bringing Cole back- very AU to begin with.
1. Lesson's Learned: Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I am not 'Charmed' enough to own any characters, with the exception of an original one.  
  
Summary: Cole learns some lessons. very, very AU, will eventually be Cole/Phoebe.  
  
Author's notes: 1. Okay, I fully realize that Cole died in the show; this is just one way of possibly bringing him back.  
  
First Charmed story so be nice.  
  
""= Dialogue, ''= thoughts  
  
Reviews: Yes, please, have absolutely no idea where this is going, this idea just kind of came to me.  
  
Lessons Learned  
  
Chapter #1  
  
The woman bent her head in prayer over her hands. 'We need you to come back to us. The children miss their father, and I miss my husband. We need you now. Please God bring him back to us.' As she finished the prayer, she had been repeating daily, over his comatose body she reached out for his hand and gave it a squeeze with every hope he would squeeze back, and just like every other day in the previous 6 weeks he didn't respond. A tear slipped down her face, as she curled up in her chair by his bed and picked up her book and began reading. After an hour had passed she began to become bored with her book so she sat it down, and walked over to the window to look out. She let her gaze wander over the parked cars down below.  
  
"mmmmmm." Came a noise from the bed.  
  
"MMMMMM." The woman turned away from the window and moved to her husband.  
  
"Shhhh, Shhhh, Shhh, honey it's gonna be okay. You need anything?" asked the woman, tears beginning to stream down her face.  
  
"Water," her husband croaked out. The woman strode over to the hospital table, and picked up the pitcher and poured a glass. She held her husbands head up while she put the cup up to his lips. He spoke after he took a few sips.  
  
"Who are you?" He demanded.  
  
"Who am I?"  
  
"Where am I?"  
  
"What happened to me?" The questions came in rapid succession.  
  
"You are Cole Turner attorney at law, and I am Arianna Matheny Turner. We've been happily married for 5 years now. We have two kids, a boy: Alexander Wyatt Turner, and a girl: Amelia Elizabeth Turner. As for what you're doing here, you were in a car accident about 6 weeks ago, you came here with internal bleeding, which the doctors weren't able to stop, and so you slipped into a coma. And now, I am going to find a doctor." Arianna turned on her heel and went to the nurse's station to find a doctor, leaving her husband to think on these new revelations.  
  
Cole looked down at the hammered gold band on his ring finger. He had no recollection of when this marriage had happened, or when his children had been born. Or this supposed accident. All he knew for sure was that he could love this woman. The doctor came in, disturbing him from his thoughts.  
  
"So I see you finally decided to grace us with your presence Mr. Turner. Glad to see you've finally woken up. I'm Doctor Thomas, your family doctor, here to do an examination" The doctor introduced himself and took his stethoscope out of his lab coat.  
  
"What date is it today?" Dr. Thomas began by questioning him.  
  
"April 15th 2003." Cole answered.  
  
"No, June 12th." The Doctor corrected.  
  
"Name?"  
  
"Cole Turner."  
  
"Wife's name?"  
  
"Arianna Matheny Turner. She just introduced herself."  
  
"I see." Dr. Thomas said speculatively, as he moved on the physical aspects of the examination. Fifteen minutes later, the Doctor left.  
  
"How is my husband?" An eager Arianna asked.  
  
"His physical injuries are fine, completely healed as a matter of fact. It's the mental state I'm worried about. He's suffered substantial memory loss, and to be perfectly honest with you, he may not get it back." Dr. Thomas told her. Arianna's blue eyes clouded over as she ran a hand through her black hair.  
  
"Can, Can I take him home today?" Arianna finally asked.  
  
"I see no reason why not, home may be the best place for him; people, and places he knows." Dr. Thomas said.  
  
A radiant smile broke out across Arianna's face, "I have to go pick my children up, so I'll come pick him up later."  
  
"I'll have the papers ready." Dr Thomas told her.  
  
Arianna returned 2 hours later, as Cole stood dressed in jeans, and a sweater staring out the window. She stood gazing at her husband a moment as she surveyed his impressive figure standing in the window frame.  
  
"Cole honey, it's time to go home, the kids are waiting." She told him after a moment's silence. Cole backed away from the window and turned to meet his wife's sparkling gaze.  
  
'Yes I could learn to love her,' he thought to himself, turning to follow her out. He paused mutely as he signed his signature to the discharge papers, and then took his wife's hand as they exited the door. They got into a blue minivan and drove away from the hospital. Cole sat in silence and sullenly stared out the window, wishing it all looked familiar to him.  
  
A few minutes later they drove past a rundown looking manor, its red paint chipped, and siding falling off, weeds twisted in the flowerbed, and vines grew around the eves. 'I think I know that place,' Cole thought to himself, as they drove past.  
  
"Who lived there?" He asked.  
  
"Three women, rumoured to be witches, one died, and I guess the place held too many memories, so the other two moved on. Our house is much, nicer." Arianna answered. The pair was silent until they got home. They were greeted with a chorus of:  
  
"Welcome home daddy. We missed you." Amelia, and Alexander chorused in unison, as they ran to hug their daddy. Arianna looked on, blue eyes sparkling with happiness. Cole readily returned the affectionate hugs, as he stared straight ahead. Here he was at home with his beautiful wife, and two charming children, and he didn't remember them at all.  
  
First Chapter done!  
  
Want more, or is this enough for ya?  
  
Reviews are most welcome  
  
Peace Out  
  
A.B. 


	2. Lesson's Learned: Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The only characters I own are Arianna, and her children. The rest belong to Ms. Constance M. Burge.  
  
Summary: Extremely AU- will eventually be Cole/Phoebe  
  
Author's notes: 1. First Charmed Story.  
2. C.O.S.= Change of scenery ""= Dialouge, ''= thoughts Piper is still pregnant.  
  
Setting: The manor, in our universe.  
  
Chapter #2: Lessons Learned  
  
" I did it." Paige announced as she entered the manor.  
  
"Did what?" Phoebe asked looking up from the book she was reading.  
  
"Piper, Leo, come in here please." Paige called her eldest sister, and brother in-law into the room. Piper wandered in, and sat down on the couch beside Phoebe, while Leo orbed in, and stood slouching against the doorframe. There was silence as Piper found a comfortable position with her back against a pillow.  
  
"So, do you want to make this big announcement, you called everyone in here for." Piper finally said, getting a little testy.  
  
"I killed Cole." Paige told them, a smile breaking out across her face. An awkward pause filled the room.  
  
"H-How?" Leo asked. Paige told her story, about how she traveled back in time, to when Cole was human, and about killing him. A second awkward silence filled the room. Leo still had a confused look on his face.  
  
"It sounds like you killed him. Break out the Champagne then." Phoebe urged.  
  
"Ehp, Ehp, Ehp, not so fast, ms. Divorcee. What about the whole playing with time thing, that enters into it, does it not?" Piper interjected, halting the sudden celebration. Paige cut Phoebe's response off:  
  
"Look, Cole's dead, let's leave it at that, and celebrate." Paige rose to get drinks from the kitchen. She came back carrying a tray with sparkling cider, from which, everyone eagerly took a glass.  
  
"Should we toast? Paige wondered aloud.  
  
"To my no-good dead ex-husband." Phoebe toasted, a grin breaking out across her face, as the glasses clinked together.  
  
"And now, to get on with my life." Phoebe added.  
  
C.O.S.: Cole's Penthouse:  
  
He stood in the middle of the living room of the darkened apartment gazing out the window. He was a long way up, he realized, moving closer to the window. He pulled back as he felt the sudden chill of the air came from the open window, or was it broken?. He turned around, so that he faced the fireplace, and noticed singe marks on the brick walls. He glanced down to the carpet at his feet, and noticed the same singe marks on the grey carpet.  
  
He began walking (as he realized he could), into the bedroom. 'Well it certainly looks like somebody lives here, he thought to himself, noting the unmade bed, and clothing scattered across it. He looked at the closet, and noticed suits neatly hung up. The man that lived here was the same size as he was. Moving onto the dresser, he noted a bottle of men's aftershave, and a picture of himself and another woman?! He paused to consider the photo disbelievingly. They were smiling, so they must have been happy together at some point in their lives. He realized with some shock that he knew the woman, had lived down the street from her for five years. There was something tugging at his memory, some old rumour, story maybe. Witches!! That was it, it was rumoured that she, and her two sisters were witches. They lived in the manor together, until one of them died. The pain became too much to bear, so the two that remained, moved on separately, and left the manor to the elements.  
  
He took a moment then to peer into the mirror attached to the dresser. He looked healthy, aware, a far cry from his hospital bed. It was then the revelation came to him, that he wasn't in the hospital anymore. If he wasn't, then where was he? He knew this wasn't his home. The picture was definitely not of him, and his Arianna. It was almost as if he stepped into another man's life. Whose life had he inadvertently stepped into? More importantly: How does he get back to his own?  
  
C.O.S: Manor  
  
"I still can't believe he's dead." Phoebe said the grin still stretching from ear to ear.  
  
"Neither can I." Piper added, still not believing Paige's story.  
  
"I can show you proof then." Paige said.  
  
"That's what the elders want." Leo said, walking into the room. He had met with the elders after Paige told her story.  
  
"Let's go then." Paige said, taking Phoebe's hand.  
  
C.O.S. Penthouse.  
  
He heard voices in the main room of the apartment, as he did another survey of the bedroom. 'I had better go out there' he thought to himself, walking through the door. He stood hidden by shadow.  
  
"Shhhhhh, I think I hear something." Leo advised the sisters.  
  
"Come out, and identify yourself." Leo told the shadow. The man walked out into the light. The four were shocked into silence.  
  
"I killed you. I killed you, I know I killed you. I put a spell on you, and killed you. You're supposed to be dead." Paige babbled  
  
"Paige honey, you're babbling. It could be a look-alike." Piper speculated.  
  
"What's your name?" Leo asked.  
  
"Cole Turner, Attorney-At-Law, pleased to meet you." Cole replied sticking out a hand.  
  
"Okay it's you, now for the acid test." Piper said, raising, and opening her hands. Everything froze.  
  
"Cool, what did you do?" Cole asked. Piper repeated the motion, and everything unfroze.  
  
"Well?" Leo asked, awaiting confirmation.  
  
"He's still a demon." Piper confirmed.  
  
"Demon. I don't follow." Cole began, a clueless look on his face.  
  
"Are you kidding me?" Piper asked. Cole shook his head no. A long awkward silence filled the room.  
  
"What's the last thing you remember?" Leo asked.  
  
"Being in a car accident. I remember a pile of twisted metal, then being taken into hospital." Cole replied.  
  
"Okay, we have some research to do, so we'll see you later." Leo took Piper and Phoebe's hands, and orbed out. Paige followed seconds later.  
  
"This isn't over." Paige told Cole, and she orbed out, leaving a stunned Cole in her wake.  
  
That's it for Chapter #2.  
  
Please review.  
  
Peace out,  
  
-A. B. 


	3. Lessons Learned: Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own no characters accept Arrianna, and her family.  
  
Author's notes: 1. First Charmed Story so be nice  
2. C.O.S.= Change of scenery  
3. ""= Dialouge, ''= thoughts  
  
Reviews: This thrives on them.  
  
Chapter #3: Lessons learned  
  
(One month after the first chapter).  
  
'I don't deserve this. I don't deserve such a beautiful wife, and 2 loving kids, whoever's life I fell into had better realized he was blessed. I don't deserve this, after what I've done.' Cole thought to himself, as he prepared for bed. He looked up at Arianna as he turned down the rose- patterned bedspread. He met her clear, sparkling blue eyes, as he sat down on the side of the bed. 'I don't deserve this, he continued to think to himself.'  
  
"Penny for your thoughts?" Arianna asked, wondering what he was thinking about. There was a long pause as Cole figured out how to put his thoughts into words. He smiled uneasily:  
  
"Nerves I guess, I mean I haven't seen these people at work for almost 3 months."  
  
Cole admitted, telling the truth, which, in fact it was. Ever since he made the decision to return to work, he had felt nervous. What if the same kind of amnesia, gripped him there, as here at home? What if he wasn't cut out to be a lawyer anymore? He was about to find out.  
  
"You'll be fine, you have a great support staff. And Leo is a great help in the practice." Arianna assured him.  
  
"Leo, who's Leo?" Cole asked, his tone incredulous.  
  
"Your partner. He was to the hospital to see you everyday, he, and his wife even stayed with Amelia, and Alex." Arianna told him. Cole's face clouded over in confusion.  
  
"You don't remember who Leo is do you?" Arianna asked him, in a downcast tone.  
  
"No." Cole confirmed, feeling a lump well up in his throat, for in truth, he did remember a Leo, just not Leo as she was describing.  
  
"Maybe seeing him will jog your memory." Arianna suggested, as hopefulness returned to her tone.  
  
Cole sighed: "Yeah maybe, well good-night Arianna," Cole told his wife as he turned, and lay down to sleep.  
  
C.O.S.: The next morning  
  
Cole woke up and luxuriously stretched as he smelled coffee being freshly brewed in the pot. He swung his legs over the side of the bed reveling in the feeling of the green plush carpeting on his bare feet. He padded into the bathroom, and turned on the water.  
  
"Cole Leo's on the phone, wanting to know if you want a ride to work Arianna called out, as she entered their bedroom. Silence greeted her in return. 'I guess I'll tell him you'll meet him there,' she thought to herself, noticing the steam wafting from underneath the bathroom door. She put the phone to her ear and replied to Leo, then pressed the off button.  
  
Cole switched off the water and stepped out, beginning to dry himself. He wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped out of the bathroom.  
  
"Oh good, you can be my fashion sense." Cole acknowledged Arianna's presence. Arianna gazed at her husband's well muscled stomach, and chest, then wrenched her gaze up into his face, and said: "The black suit and silver tie." Arianna recommended, and forced her gaze to the floor as she got up and left her husband to get ready, with the full knowledge that the vision she had seen would be in her mind all day long.  
  
Minutes later Cole walked into the kitchen, as the coffee was being poured into his cup.  
  
"Just how you like it, black, two sugars." Arianna said, handing him a steaming cup. Cole took the cup gratefully and stood holding it, and savouring the warmth for a moment. He took a sip, as he noticed the basket of croissants on the counter top. He grabbed one, as he glanced at his watch, which read almost 10 am.  
  
"I had better get to the office." He informed Arianna, sipping his coffee. Arianna wished her husband well as he set his cup down on the counter, and picked up his brief case. He gave his wife an awkward hug, and walked out to the truck.  
  
C.O.S.: A big banner hung over the front reception desk saying Welcome Back Cole on it. 'I may be back, but I am not the Cole you thought you knew,' he thought grimly to himself as he passed by the desk, and down the narrow hallway to his office, last door on the left. It was marked by a giant red bow in the middle of a piece of ribbon going from corner, to corner, 'Arianna's touch no doubt' he thought half-smiling, as he opened the door.  
  
He found himself in a spacious office. A desk, lay to his right, with solid oak bookshelves standing behind it. Along the wall opposite the door, was a completely floor to ceiling window, out of which he could see the pristine San Francisco Bay, as well as the famous Golden Gate Bridge. Opposite the desk on the other side of the room was a table with chairs. He walked over to the desk and switched on his computer. Arrayed on the desk were pictures of the children at various ages, and a picture him, and Arianna, his hands resting on her shoulders. They were smiling, and there was a twinkle in her blue eyes. He remembered having a similar photo taken with Phoebe, and as soon as the thought came, he pushed it out of his head.  
He sat down at his desk, and noticed a file had already on his desk. He had just begun to read it, when there was a knock at his door, it opened, and Leo tentatively peeked his head into the room.  
  
"Welcome back buddy." Leo greeted his friend, with a smile.  
  
"The more things change." Cole muttered quietly, for Leo looked exactly like the Leo he remembered.  
  
"I just came to see if you had a chance to look at the Halliwell case yet." Leo asked.  
  
"Just started, want to give me specifics?" Cole got to the point.  
  
"One of the sisters has been accused of murder. The evidence looks pretty substantial, it should be open and shut." Leo replied in a business-like tone.  
  
'I guess things really do change.' Cole thought to himself. "Couldn't one of the more junior partners take this?" Cole asked.  
  
"No, they personally requested you. Something about a family contact. I don't know." Leo speculated. Cole walked over to his phone, and pressed a button, and asked his receptionist to get Phoebe Halliwell on the phone. A moment later, Cole picked up his receiver. "Hello?" A sad voice asked. Cole glanced in Leo's direction.  
  
"This is Cole Turner calling from Turner, Smith, and associates, and I was wondering if I could speak to a Ms, Cole paused to look down at the folder, and looked up again in shock Phoebe Halliwell." Cole asked.  
  
"Just a minute." The voice answered. A second saddened voice came on the line.  
  
"Hello Cole?" It was Phoebe; he recognized it in less than a heartbeat. But it wasn't the Phoebe he knew, who was confident, and spirited.  
  
"Can you meet me here, in my office this afternoon around two, it's to discuss your case." Cole struggled to keep his voice business-like.  
  
"Yeah, I'll see you then." Phoebe replied, and hung up the phone.  
  
Cole put the receiver down, and sat back in his chair dumbfounded. Leo just stood in an ever-lengthening silence. Cole gulped, in an attempt to swallow the lump in his throat.  
  
"Leo, if you don't mind, I'd like to be alone for a while." Cole told his partner. Leo left, closing the door behind him.  
  
C.O.S.: Piper/Phoebe's apartment.  
  
Phoebe walked into the living room where her sister was watching television and sank into the cushions with a heavy sigh.  
  
"Well how'd it go?" Piper asked.  
  
"He agreed to see me. You know, he sounds different from the Cole we knew. More confident, self-assured." Phoebe summed up.  
  
"Isn't that a good thing?" Piper asked.  
  
"I suppose so," Phoebe replied nervously twisting her wedding band around on her finger. The sisters sat in companionable silence.  
  
"Well I had better go get ready." Phoebe resignedly told Piper, getting up and leaving the room.  
  
"Want me to come with you?" Piper asked, ever willing to support her sister.  
  
"No, I'll be fine." Phoebe replied. She left without saying a word.  
  
C.O.S.: Cole's office.  
  
Cole glanced at his watch, and then at the door, as he heard a timid knock. Good, right on time, he thought to himself as Phoebe peeked her head around the doorway.  
  
"Come in Phoebe, and make yourself comfortable." Cole greeted her, indicating a chair.  
  
"So this is what you've been doing since college. I'd always thought you'd make a difference, but I never thought you'd be this successful this quickly." Phoebe nervously began making small talk.  
  
"Before we begin, I have one curious question of my own: Why did you choose me? I mean there are tons of other lawyers." Cole asked, keeping his tone professional.  
  
Phoebe considered her words carefully before speaking them: "This has to do with more delicate than normal matters." Phoebe looked down at her hands.  
  
"I see. Care to elaborate?" Cole asked, comprehending the part referring to her powers.  
  
"I'd been out with Jason, he's my husband; Piper was at home babysitting our daughter. And we came back to our apartment after a late romantic dinner. We'd been followed, and were ambushed right outside the building. I immediately pushed Jason aside, and attempted to fight the demons myself, and I was getting beaten pretty badly. That's when Piper saw us from our patio and came running towards us. She blew them up." Phoebe began.  
  
"Do you want some water?" Cole asked, concern beginning to show.  
  
"No." Phoebe answered, looking down, twisting her ring again. Cole was patient, as Phoebe gathered her thoughts to resume her story.  
  
"Making matters worse, I didn't tell my husband about my 'family heritage.' So, that night, he, Piper, and I, had a long talk. And he seemed to get past the fact that I was a witch. He also understood, that it was for his own safety that I had to keep it from him. Things were better, at least for a while. Then I got a premonition not about him, but about his brother. His brother, enraged had come into my house and began terrorizing my family. I didn't know when it was going to happen. A week later my premonition came true. We had invited him over for dinner, and out of nowhere, he stood up and began sermonizing on what a slut I was, what a bad mother I was to Alana what a bad wife I was for Jason. He said some awful things. Of course Jason stood up, and began to defend me, and before I knew it I was standing up. Jason took a step towards him, and he backed up into the kitchen. I placed myself between the two. That's when Jeff reached behind him and picked up the knife. He ran at me with it, there was no doubt in my mind that he was planning to kill me. I managed to turn it on him, and kill him." Phoebe paused again.  
  
Cole stood up, and walked the length of his office to the table and poured her a glass of water, walked back, and gave it to her. She took it silently; nodding her thanks, and took a long sip of it.  
  
"Jason left me that night. He took Alanna, and left. He said he could forgive me killing people who were demons; he said he could even forgive me for lying. But killing his brother. No." Phoebe paused again to get Kleenex from her purse, and wiped her nose, then took a drink of water.  
  
"He just couldn't see, that somehow his brother had become dangerous. He always saw him as an innocent, and refused to see that he had changed. He threatened to kill me for god's sakes. Oh and here's the best part: He won't let me see Alanna, my own daughter is going to grow up thinking her mother is a phsycho." Phoebe finished, allowing her bitterness to show in her tone. There was silence as Phoebe finished her water, and sighed, and began to twist her wedding band around on her finger.  
  
"It sounds like we have a case for self-defense." Cole summed up, and was silent, suspecting that there was more.  
  
"He's asked me for a divorce, and is filing for full custody of Alanna. Cole, I couldn't live without my baby. She's my life." Phoebe ended her story.  
  
"So, you want me to participate in your custody hearing as well?" Cole asked.  
  
"No, Leo's already filed papers." Phoebe answered, draining the last of her water.  
  
"You're case starts on August 22nd, now I think I can win, but I need to know if you're willing to be put on the stand." Cole told her bluntly.  
  
"Why?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"If I can illustrate your state of mind that night, that you felt fear, a threat to yourself, or your child, I can make that much of a stronger case. And an innocent verdict in this case, will help you get your daughter back." Cole explained.  
  
"I will. Anything to see Alanna's smiling face again." Phoebe answered, a faint smile showing on her face.  
  
"What about my custody case?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"I'll take care of that." Cole responded, a plan already forming in his mind.  
  
"Do you still the other thing?" Cole asked, referring to her witchcraft.  
  
"No, the power of 3 hasn't been since Prue died. Because of what happened then, the two of us vowed never to use our powers again. And we nearly succeeded." Phoebe gave a grim smile.  
  
"How about you?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"Married, five years to the same woman. We have 2 beautiful children together." Cole answered. Phoebe sighed heavily: " Always the charmed lifestyle." She said, smiling wryly.  
  
"I'd better get going." Phoebe got up and walked towards the door. Cole held it open for her, and she walked out the door leaving him alone.  
  
"I'll be in touch." He called out shutting his office door. He went back behind the desk, and sunk into the chair.  
  
'This Phoebe is entirely different from the one I knew. Her attitude that life isn't worth living. It isn't like her. And the disbanding of the power of 3, this Phoebe doesn't realize that the world needs them, to fight evil, and provide hope to the world. And this Jason guy, that she's divorcing, something has to be done about him' Cole reflected on the meeting. He activated his intercom:  
  
"Hello Greta, dig up all the information you can about a Jason Dean. Have it for me, in an hour." Cole ordered, as he relaxed back into his leather desk-chair. 'Jason won't know what's coming.' He thought to himself.  
  
Oh, you honestly didn't think I'd completely forgotten about the more evil side of Cole did you?  
  
A.N.: What is Leo's last name? I used Smith here, but I'm pretty sure it's not that.  
  
Reviews are always welcomed.  
  
Peace out, and happy reading.  
  
-A.B. 


	4. Lessons Learned: Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Arianna' is an original character, the rest are not mine. If they were, then Phoebe and Cole would be together.  
  
Summary: See Chapter #1  
  
Author's notes: 1. C.O.S.: Change Of scenery  
2. ""= Dialogue, ''= thoughts 1st charmed fic, so be nice.  
  
Reviews: Yes please.  
  
Chapter #4, Lessons Learned  
  
Our Universe.  
  
The man known as Cole Turner sunk to the floor in a heap, holding his head in his hands. 'What am I going to do?' he thought to himself. 'Why didn't I freeze?' 'Am I a demon?' If I am a demon, then why don't I look different?' I mean all the 'demons' I've heard about have all looked different, all didn't look human. So if I am, then why don't I look like them?' He needed somebody's opinion, and unbidden, a picture of his Arianna came into his head. 'I need you Arianna. Help me get through this. He pleaded.  
  
All at once, it seemed he realized he wasn't in the penthouse anymore. He was on a veranda somewhere. He looked around and noticed the weeds that choked out the garden, and the planks on the veranda had rotted away. He walked up the front door, and noticed it was boarded shut, nails holding it up. He wrenched the board off, and dragged the door off its hinges. He walked in, and the memories came flooding back to him, of cold winter nights spent setting at the kitchen table with Amelia, and Alexander drinking hot chocolate. Of Arrianna herself, her blue eyes twinkling, while she made dinner. He walked through the swinging door, and into the living room. He peered around the dark room, noticing the dust gathered on the wooden floor. His gaze wandered to the corner of the room, where some cobwebs had gathered. He noticed that what limited light came through the planks on the windows illuminated a small toy on the ground. He walked the short distance, and picked it up. It was a pink bear, with blue eyes, and a little bow tie. He recognized it as Amelia's first bear. He slumped down against the wall and again began sobbing.  
  
"Oh Arianna, you know that this is Amelia's favourite bear. How could you leave without it, poor Ame, she never falls asleep without it. And this house, how could you leave it? It was our house, the place where we planned our future how could you?" His tears went from sadness to anger.  
  
"I could leave this place, because you were off with that damn witch of yours. Just as this was where we planned our future, this was also where you broke my heart. We built this house around our lives, our two beautiful children climbed all over that couch. It's the same couch where I caught you with your witch." He heard her bitter voice in his head. It caused more tears to stream down his face as he continued to hold his head in his hand. Time passed, and he still sat there. The light coming through the windows faded.  
  
"Get up." A feminine voice flatly said. Cole glanced up and saw this figure, dressed in black striding towards him. There was just enough light coming in behind her to illuminate her face. A pair of icy blue eyes stared back at him. He stayed seated.  
  
"Get up I said." The voice repeated. It was unmistakably that of Arianna. She reached out a hand and slapped him across the face. He stood up then.  
  
"I didn't deserve that." Cole angrily told her. She slapped him again.  
  
"I didn't deserve that either. She reached her hand up to slap him a third time, and Cole caught her wrist.  
  
"Listen I don't know what I did to deserve that, or why you are so angry at me. But if you stop, I promise to explain myself." Her eyes narrowed at him.  
  
"You promise to explain yourself. You promise to explain why you having an affair with that little whore of a witch. You promise to tell me why so many times you broke your word to your own children, our children. You promise to explain to me, why this house, that so personified our dreams, has now turned into a house of nightmares, and broken dreams. Fine, I'll hear you out." She bitterly told him.  
  
"Whatever it was you think you saw. You didn't." Cole began. She raised her hand, this time to chest height, and pointed it at him; he was then flung against the wall.  
  
"Don't insult my intelligence." She told him crossly, holding him there.  
  
"It's all in your mind. I never slept with her. You are the only one for me, my heart, and my soul. You are in my blood. I don't even know who are you talking about." Cole began pleading.  
  
"YOU DON'T KNOW WHO I MEAN. I MEAN THAT WHORE PHOEBE HALLIWELL!" Arianna shouted. She raised her leg to kick him in throat, and Cole raised his hand, and just like that she was halfway across the room.  
  
" See I can do that too" he said sarcastically, walking over to her. She punched him in the eye.  
  
"Ouch, that hurt." The eye instantly became swollen. Her eyes glazed over then, and cloudy blue ones locked onto his gaze: "Cole sweetie, can you let me down from here?" Her voice was sickeningly sweet. Cole, unable to resist let her down out of his grasp, and backed away to the other side of the room. Arianna's eyes cleared off, and a ball of flame sprang into her hand. He noticed it, and instinctively in response a ball of flame sprang to his hand. They met in the middle of the room, creating a giant explosion that shook the foundation of the house, and burned through the floor underneath them.  
  
C.O.S.: The Manor  
  
They had begun scrying for Cole the moment after Paige got back, and reported the Penthouse empty. Phoebe was bent over a map spread over the table, with Piper perched on a stool mixing potions.  
  
"I don't even see why we're even bothering. We wanted him gone anyway. Maybe he's finally dead." Paige said.  
  
"We are bothering because this Cole is an innocent. He may have powers, but he does not know how to use them, and it is our job to help innocents. And maybe, this might mean I get a second chance." Phoebe explained. Paige glanced at Piper for support.  
  
Piper sighed: "As much as I hate to admit it, but she's right. Cole is an innocent."  
  
"Found him." Phoebe announced. Piper walked over to the map and looked to where her sister was pointing.  
  
"That's not too far from our house." Piper observed. "LEO" Piper called. Leo orbed in: "Is it time?" he asked motioning to Piper's stomach. Piper smiled.  
  
"No honey it's not. We were wondering if you knew anything about Cole." Piper said.  
  
"Yes, the elders think that he might not be dead after all." Leo answered.  
  
"We know that all already Dr. Obvious. We were wondering if they knew anything about this Cole." Piper specified sarcastically.  
  
"The elders say that this Cole does not belong here." Leo informed his wife.  
  
"They think this Cole is from another timeline, one where he's completely human. They think that somehow when you 'killed' Cole, instead of going to hell, Leo cringed as he used the word, he went to this other timeline." His explanation was greeted with an uneasy silence; Leo moved to stand behind his pregnant wife Paige looked up in horror.  
  
"If this is true, does Cole still have his powers?" She finally phrased the question.  
  
"Yeah they somehow transferred to this other timeline. So now we have two Cole's with their powers. Paige cringed. Phoebe looked up from the map shocked. 'My Cole is still alive, somewhere. We still have a second chance.' She thought excitedly to herself.  
  
"We have to save this Cole. Piper have you got the potions ready?" Phoebe asked. "Yeah, the potions are all ready, lets go." Piper answered, taking up her husband's hand. Paige took Phoebe's hand, and in a matter of seconds they were outside the abandoned home, they walked through single file and into the living room to find Cole holding an unidentified woman up by the throat against the wall.  
  
"Cole, put her down." Leo urged. Cole let his captive go and she slumped down onto the floor with a thud, and sat there gasping for her breath.  
  
"Who are you?" Phoebe questioned.  
  
"Arianna Matheny Huffington." She responded, as her eyes glazed over again. Phoebe cast a questioning glance at Cole: "And in your universe, what is she known as?" Cole looked at her with a blank face, and there was silence.  
  
"In other words, what name do you know her by?" Piper clarified.  
  
"Arianna Matheny Turner." Cole answered, suddenly taking an interest in his shoes.  
  
"Sister?" Piper asked.  
  
"No, wife." Cole gulped. Just then Arianna's eyes glossed over again.  
  
"Help me." she weakly managed, as her eyes again became clear.  
  
"You haven't heard the last of this." She said, and shimmered out leaving the five alone. It became silent in the room. Paige finally broke it by saying:  
  
"Looking at her, I'd say she's possessed or something." The room was silent for another few minutes.  
  
"I guess the first question would be, how did you get here?" Leo began.  
  
"To be honest I don't know. I was in the penthouse, thinking about everything you told me, and I decided that I needed to talk to somebody. Naturally I thought of Arianna, the next thing I knew I was here." Cole started.  
  
"You shimmered. It's a process where you transport yourself merely by thinking of another place." Leo told him.  
  
"I see." He replied.  
  
"You know Cole, we should probably take you back to our house, because there's going to be some rather not nice people after you." Piper added.  
  
"You mean to stay with you?" Cole asked, some nervousness creeping into his tone.  
  
"Yeah, we have a lot to tell you." Piper answered, smiling weakly. Leo moved forward, and grabbed her, and Cole's hand, then orbed to the manor, followed closely by Paige, and Phoebe. Paige and Phoebe followed Cole, Leo, and Piper into the lounge. Piper sank down onto the couch.  
  
"You, she pointed to Cole, sit over there." Cole realizing it was not a good thing to argue with a pregnant woman, sat in the appointed chair. Phoebe, and Paige took their spots on either side of Piper, with Leo slouching on the end. Piper took a deep breath.  
  
"Okay, I'm going to give you the no pun intended give Cole's notes version. You are a demon named: Belthazar, sent here, to kill us around 5 years ago. But instead you ended up falling in love with Phoebe here. You two had a good thing going, you were made human, wedding bells were definitely ringing. Then you realized that hey: I can't live without my demon half. So you hooked up with some bitch called the seer. She seduced you with the whole: ' get me a charmed one, and I'll give you power beyond your wildest dreams' malarkey, which you of course bought. You tricked Phoebe into marrying you and crossing over to the dark side. And then we banished you. But you, oh you were a clever one, you tricked demons into giving you their powers, and gradually you clawed your way out of that wasteland, and poof were back again. Your efforts then were concentrated on winning Phoebe back by being a good boy for a change. Which in the end, failed miserably." Piper paused to take a breath.  
  
"So one day, you decided that the way to get Phoebe back was to make sure we never met Paige. You called the avatars to you, which were the new evil boys in town, and they made you even more invincible. The problem is, you decided to use that power to influence timelines, which apparently avatars never do. So you travel back, and manage to take Paige here with you. A second problem: This is a time when you were totally human. So instead of you killing Paige, Paige managed to kill you. Or so we thought. But instead it appears that someone somewhere has played a cruel joke on us, and merely switched Cole's on us. Any questions?" Piper finished.  
  
Cole just sat in stunned silence.  
  
Knowing this Cole, what do you think his reaction will be? What are the real Cole's plans for Mr. Dean?  
  
Stay tuned..  
  
Peace Out,  
  
Happy Reading.  
  
-A.B. 


	5. Lessons Learned Chapter 5

Disclaimer: The only character I own, is Arianna, the rest aren't mine.  
  
Summary: see chapter #1  
  
Author's notes: 1. My apologies for the lack of updates, changing addresses, and then had computer problems  
2. ""= Dialogue, ''= thoughts  
  
Reviews: Yes Please  
  
Chapter #5, A.U.  
  
Jason Dean gazed out the window over San Francisco downtown of his 11th floor office. He let his gaze wander to the streets below. His thoughts wandered too, towards the rather chaotic state of his life. His marriage broke up; he was going broke due to bad investments. And he was fighting for custody of his daughter. He bit his pen thoughtfully, as he tried to work through the finances of the newspaper. He glanced up at the clock, which read 8:30 pm. It was rare now, for him to even go home before 10. He shrugged and went back to work. About ten minutes later, he glanced up, as he heard the sound of a door closing. 'That's odd, I should be the only one here' he thought, as he rose from behind his desk, and opened his office door.  
  
"Hello" he called out into the darkness. 'It must have been the Janitor or something.' He thought, as he went back into his office. He shut the door, and sat back down at his desk.  
  
"Looking for me." A voice from the shadows asked.  
  
"Identify yourself, or I'll call security."  
  
"Let's just say we have someone in common." the voice answered.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Look at your wedding ring." The voice answered.  
  
"Phoebe."  
  
"Why don't we tell the man what he's won." The voice answered, as Cole stepped out of the shadows.  
  
" Are you some kind of enforcer?" Jason asked, his confusion evident on his face.  
  
"Worse, I'm her lawyer." Cole answered.  
  
"How is that worse?" Jason asked.  
  
"At least you're not dead." Cole responded.  
  
"What are you here for anyway?" Jason asked  
  
"I'm here to try and get you to drop the custody suit. Phoebe realizes she was wrong to put Alana in danger. She loves the child, and she needs her." Cole said.  
  
"I don't give a damn about what Phoebe wants, or what Phoebe needs. She put my child in danger without a second thought." Jason replied.  
  
"How did she put Alana in danger?" Cole asked.  
  
"She's a witch for goodness sakes. For all I know she could place spells on the child that would make her do all sorts of things, even kill." Jason responded.  
  
"I guess you never knew your wife very well." Cole said his voice growing colder.  
  
"You know come to think of it, you're right. I never did know her very well. She never let me know her very well. She knew everything about me, and I knew next to nothing about her." Jason bitterly said.  
  
"She did that to keep you safe. Because if you knew, unseen forces would come after you as a way of getting to her. And she didn't want that type of life. She wanted to be normal." Cole justified.  
  
"Is normal lying to your husband?" Is normal killing your brother-in-law?" Jason paused before continuing.  
  
"You know what he said before she murdered him? He said that we were wrong together. That she was a bad mother to Alana. He accused her of sleeping around. And I defended her. I defended that bitch. Then she killed my brother. I hope that bitch rots in hell" He finished bitterly. Cole took a step towards Jason, and moved to start picking him up off the ground. He set him down again.  
  
"You know, you really aren't worth it." He threw Jason back on his chair, and stalked out the door.  
  
He shimmered back to the office to pick up the car, and drove home. Cole walked through the door to see Arianna move to take a plate out of the fridge and place the microwave. 'I don't deserve this.' He thought again to himself. Arianna greeted him with a smile.  
  
"I'm sorry I'm late, I started a new case today, and the research took me overtime." Cole explained, as he moved to sit down in a kitchen chair.  
  
"It's okay, really. I'm used to having a selfless husband." Arianna chuckled as she walked over, and set the plate in front of him.  
  
"The kids are both asleep. I told them you'd be in to kiss them good night after you got home." Arianna said sitting down across from him. He ate in silence, and afterwards carried his plate over to the dishwasher. He gazed at his wife, taking in her long black hair, and radiant blue eyes. Even after the birth of two children, she still had an amazing figure, all curves, and legs, which even her current outfit of jeans and a sweater couldn't hide. 'Whoever this guy is, he is one lucky S.O.B.' He thought to himself.  
  
"I want to do some reading before bed, so I'll be up in a bit." He told her.  
  
"Okay, don't forget to kiss the kids." She reminded, as she went upstairs. He left the kitchen, and made his way to his study, where he sat in his leather chair. He picked up his file on Jason Dean, and began to read.  
  
'Yale grad in Journalism.' 'Father owned several businesses. Died a mysterious death when son was only 18.'  
  
Interesting, the kid was a young prodigy. Cole thought to himself, as he flipped to the financial records. 'Now things begin to get interesting.' He thought, glancing over the figures. Wait, this can't be right. All the businesses currently held by Dean's family are loosing money. But why?  
  
C.O.S. Jason's office.  
  
"I think you may want to stop now." A woman tapped an elegant fingernail on the desk waiting for him to look up, which he did.  
  
"What now." He responded in an annoyed tone.  
  
"You're not ready yet to take on Belthazar. Your anger has shown itself to quickly, and way to beat Belthazar is to control it." She told him.  
  
"But. I thought that's what you wanted. Anger. I want those powers; I need those powers to beat my whore of an ex-wife. You know how powerful she is." Jason whined.  
  
"Then you will listen to me." the woman responded.  
  
"Yes my lady." Jason meekly replied.  
  
So there it is. Another chapter has been written. Please let me know through your reviews if you want me to continue on my crazy little adventure. Peace out, and happy reading. A.B. 


	6. Lessons Learned: Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters accept Arianna and seek to make no money off of them.  
  
Summary: See Chapter #1  
  
Author's notes: ''= thoughts, ""= Dialogue  
C.O.S. means Change of Setting  
  
Reviews: Bring them on  
  
Chapter #6: Setting: Normal Universe  
  
The stunned silence stretched into the minutes as Cole digested what Piper said. Leo broke the silence:  
  
"Who was that in the house back there?"  
  
"She was my wife in the other timeline. We have two children together, Amelia, and Alexander. I don't know what might have happened to her. She's different." Cole said, casting his glance downwards.  
  
"Different how?" Paige picked up.  
  
"My Arianna was vibrant, and full of life. She loved the children. Just before you came in, I found Amelia's favourite teddy bear under the couch. My Arianna would never have left it. When she spoke it was in a cold flat tone devoid of all feeling." Cole answered.  
  
"You speak in the past, aren't you still married?" Paige asked.  
  
Cole sighed: "I had been out on a couple dates with the Phoebe of my universe. I was on my way home to tell Arianna that it was over between us when I got in a car accident. I woke up in the Penthouse here."  
  
"Why were you breaking up with Arianna?" Piper picked up the thread.  
  
"We were high school sweethearts that married young. I was working long nights, and we began to mature and gradually grew apart." Cole answered.  
  
"Did you never have any signs of these abilities?" Leo asked, wanting to gauge how powerful he was.  
  
"Yes. I showed signs of being powerful." Cole answered.  
  
"So you should have some memory." Leo began.  
  
"No I don't. I was a teenager when I began to notice these changes within myself. One day I experimented with a fireball. It was after classes behind the school. I threw it, just as Arianna was coming around the corner to walk home. She was scared and repulsed by it. She looked at me like I was a freak and made me promise to be 'normal' or else she would leave me." Cole answered. There was a pause as the sisters exchanged looks.  
  
"Guys, can I talk to you for a second in the kitchen." Piper asked as she got up from her seat. Phoebe and Paige followed her in silence. They got to the kitchen and were silent as they got settled around the kitchen table.  
  
"I never thought I'd hear myself saying this, but I think we should give this guy the benefit of the doubt. He's telling the truth." Piper told them.  
  
"The truth?! You call that sop story the truth. It had lost children a broken home, all which would play at the heartstrings. Granted, there is something off about him I just don't think that's it." Paige offered. Both sisters looked at Phoebe who had been strangely quiet through the whole thing.  
  
"It's your call Phoebe." Piper told her. Phoebe gulped still not knowing what to make of it all:  
  
"Trust him. He seems to be innocent enough right now. We need to get to know him better." Phoebe offered.  
  
"Majority wins I guess." Paige sighed.  
  
"Okay, we have a plan. We get to know him better, while we figure out how to put him back in his timeline. We also teach him to better manage his powers. Now we should get back in there," Piper affirmed. They got up from their seats and Piper led the way and took her seat on the couch. She looked directly at Cole:  
  
"You can stay here, up in the attic if you like for a while. You'll need some protection while you're getting used to your new powers." Cole's face took on a hopeful, thankful expression. As they walked up to the attic Cole said  
  
"Thank you, I am very grateful."  
  
"Don't thank us yet, wait until you're back in your own world." Piper said.  
  
"Speaking of which, how do I get back to my own world?" Cole asked.  
  
"We're working on that." Piper said. She turned and left him to get settled in. Cole sunk to the ground as the gravity of his situation finally began taking its toll.  
  
He rose again, and turned towards the window where he began to examine his reflection. He didn't look different. His facial features were the same, even if his cheeks were a little more sallow than usual. The difference he realized was on the inside. He felt that ball of fire within himself stir again and to his surprise he felt alive. It was as if he had been missing a part of himself by ignoring those powers all those years. He realized then, that although his life with Arianna was to all appearances perfect, he had denied the true essence of who he was by not using those powers. And denied his children a part of their heritage. He thought with bitterness and regret over all the good he could have done by using them over the years, it was enough for him to sink again to the ground and weep. 'God forgive me' he whispered into the silence.  
  
C.O.S.: elsewhere in the manor  
  
"You've been strangely quiet tonight. Penny for your thoughts?" Piper asked Phoebe allowing the concern on her face.  
  
"I want to get on with my life. I want this over I want to get past Cole. And I'm torn, I want to believe him, but part of me still thinks that this is an act put on for our benefit. That the real Cole is still in there, scheming to get me back at all costs including pulling such an elaborate charade." Phoebe answered allowing the frustration to show.  
  
"I think it startled it you that you were the one he was using to cheat on his wife." Piper bluntly told her sister.  
  
"That little revelation did startle me. You know I would never do that, never deprive children of their father, a wife of her husband. I am not some common whore." Phoebe replied angrily.  
  
"I know that sweetie. I know. " Piper assured her, gathering her into a hug before continuing: But it also wouldn't hurt to give this Cole a chance." She advised. Phoebe nodded.  
  
Piper led Phoebe to the linen closet and got out some blankets.  
  
"You can start by taking these up to him to make him comfortable." Piper handed the blankets to Phoebe who turned and went on upstairs. She paused in the doorway to the attic.  
  
'Handing blankets to the man shouldn't be this difficult. He's my ex- husband, emphasis on the ex. But look at him standing there, he just looks so lost, so helpless and defenseless. She let her gaze run over his physique as she noted every muscle emphasized on his back, his broad shoulders. Everything was just like the Cole we vanquished' she thought to herself. Sensing a pair of eyes on him, Cole turned around to find Phoebe standing at the top of the stairs.  
  
"You know, I'm not the type of demon that will bite you know. At least I think I'm not." Cole made a weak attempt at a joke as he walked towards her. He reached down and took the blankets from her. One of his hands brushed her arm and she involuntarily recoiled. One of the blankets dropped to the floor in the front of him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to recoil like that it's just." She left off as she bent to pick it up. "You and me, or you and he have a rather turbulent history." Cole finished as he picked it up for her. Phoebe smiled awkwardly:  
  
"You'll forgive me then if I don't want to hang out." Phoebe told him shortly and turned to walk out. Cole reached out and grabbed her arm:  
  
"I know he treated you rotten, but that is absolutely no reason to take it out on me. I would never treat you like that. To me our love is something to be prized above all else like a precious jewel. I don't know you very well, but I do know what I saw in that picture in the penthouse. What I saw was a vibrant beautiful woman who loved life, and whose eyes overflowed with the love she had for the man. And the man only had eyes for you Phoebe." Cole told her, his voice fading to just a whisper.  
  
There was silence as the held each other's gaze. Finally Phoebe said:  
  
"I can't do this with you right now Cole, I'm not ready." Phoebe yanked her arm back and stalked down the stairs leaving the blanket.  
  
Well that's the end of this chapter.  
  
AN: reading this over I realize that I am not exactly clear on the timeline of the AUCole's date w/ AUPhoebe. For clarification's sakes: the night before his car accident he had been out on a date w/Phoebe. He was on his way to tell Arianna it was over between them when he got in the car accident.  
  
Let me know if you guys want this crazy little adventure to continue with your reviews. Peace out, and Happy reading: A.B. 


	7. Lessons Learned: Chapter 7

Disclaimer: If you don't recognize it it's mine.  
  
Summary: See chapter #1  
  
Author's notes: 1. Sorry for the delay: real life pressures did get in the way (essays, essays everywhere...) 2. Remember Centennial Charmed when Paige goes back in time to kill Cole? Well for the purposes of this story, she did not succeed. Instead Cole was trapped in that timeline, and to even out the balance of power, the Cole of that timeline came over. In other words: They switched places. Any other questions please email me at: angelsbabe15@hotmail.com  
  
3. ""= Dialogue, ''= thoughts  
  
4. A.U.= Alternate Universe:  
  
Chapter #7: Lessons Learned AU:  
  
"Cole honey, Cole. Wake up. You'll be late for work." Arianna advised her husband as she stood beside the chair in his study. The man in question woke up with a start, and looked around himself blankly until he met her gaze. Then awareness came flooding back to him.  
  
"I'm sorry, I guess I must have dozed off reading." Cole answered.  
  
"I'm sure you did." Arianna said, disgust creeping into her voice. Cole shrugged it off, and made his way past her, and upstairs to get ready for work. While in the shower, he let the hot water rinse away the fatigue. He thought about Phoebe's case, and how what he read last night related to it. Something didn't add up. Young prodigy, turned profit, then went near bankrupt. How? Bad business decisions? Possibly. Inherited bad business practices? Not likely. Bad economy? No. A combination of the three? Possibly, but Cole didn't think so. There was more to it than that. Cole's instincts told him possibly something supernatural. He wanted to discount that theory, for Phoebe and Alana's sakes. He thought about how badly she wanted a normal life free of magic for her children. But he also realized from experience that you could not fight destiny no matter how hard you tried. She was meant to be a Charmed One, she just hasn't fully realized it yet. He knew she loved her daughter more than life itself. He resolved to fight for them. He left the house, and drove to his office, his mind trying to discount the possibility that it was supernatural. But he couldn't, it was the only thing he could use to make perfect sense of it all.  
  
When he got to his office, the phone had just stopped ringing. He went behind his desk and noticed the voicemail indicator on his phone displaying one message. He hit the play button, and Phoebe's voice filled the silence of his office:  
  
"Hi Cole, it's me Phoebe. I j-just- we need to talk. Call me, I'm at home, my number is: 654-7321. I'll be here all day." Sensing the dejection in her voice, Cole dialed the phone number immediately. Phoebe picked it up on the first ring:  
  
"Hi Phoebe. It's me. " Cole greeted her  
  
"Hi. Yeah, I called you earlier, I just needed to hear a friendly voice." Phoebe told him.  
  
"You want to talk about it?" Cole asked sensing something still off about her voice.  
  
"I-It's just that, I'm so scared. What if I lose her Cole? I can't. She's my baby. He doesn't understand that I need my baby. She's my life, my shining light. Who will be there to sing to her if I'm not? Who will be there to hold her when she cries? To listen to her hopes and dreams? Or to teach her about her heritage? He won't understand about her. He didn't understand about me." Phoebe finished dejectedly.  
  
There was silence on the line as Cole tried to think of something he could reassure her with. In truth, he couldn't imagine the hell she was going through. Again the thought came into his mind of the possibility that Jason had supernatural help. He decided that he had better be honest with her:  
  
"Phoebe, you need to know that there is a possibility that Jason had some supernatural help. At this point it's the only theory that I've come up with that makes sense." Cole told her.  
  
"How do you know so much about the supernatural?" Phoebe asked, because the Cole she knew had given up using his powers for Arianna. Cole paused. He hadn't given much thought to the question.  
  
"I think we need to meet. Is your place okay?" Cole decided.  
  
"Yeah, it's perfect." Phoebe replied.  
  
"I'll see you in an hour then." Cole responded.  
  
"An hour then. Bye Cole."  
  
"Bye Phoebe." Cole responded. They hung up the phone, Cole settling back into his chair He knew the obvious answer to her question: He was a demon, endowed with powers, and immortality. He wondered why, what prompted her to ask it. She should have known about his past, about their past. He let his thoughts wander as he absently began gathering his files into his briefcase, and prepared to leave.  
  
C.O.S.: Phoebe, and Piper's apartment  
  
"Are you sure that's wise?" Piper had asked Phoebe when Phoebe called the club and told Piper about her and Cole's meeting.  
  
Phoebe had to be honest with herself: she wasn't sure that it was in fact wise, all she knew was that it seemed like a good idea at the time it was suggested. She also knew that there was something off about Cole. There seemed to be a new glint in his eye, and she needed know what was behind it, and some instinct told her this was the way to go about it. She heard the door buzzer, and moved to answer it: "Phoebe, it's me Cole." In response Phoebe pressed the button that would gain him access to the building. Moments later she heard a knock at the front door. She frantically looked in the mirror as she checked her hair, and makeup. She opened the door just as he was about to knock a second time.  
  
She took a second to look at him: broad shoulders, a white dress shirt, with a silver tie- that brought out his incredible blue eyes. She breathed in the musky scent of him, and blushed as she remembered the last time she was close enough to do that.  
  
"May I come in?" Cole asked. Phoebe moved aside in response. She led the way into the kitchen where Cole set his briefcase down on the table.  
  
"Would you like anything to drink?" Phoebe asked her guest.  
  
"Some coffee would be great thanks." Cole replied, as Phoebe moved to plug in the coffeemaker. There was an awkward silence.  
  
"So how are the children, and Arianna?" Phoebe asked making nervous small talk.  
  
"They're good." Cole answered. There was silence, as neither knew where to take the conversation. Finally Cole broke it.  
  
"Listen, there is something about me I feel you should know, you deserve to know. I'm a.." Cole began.  
  
"Demon. Yes, I know but you gave up your powers for love, for Arianna at the end of high school, don't you remember?" Phoebe said. Cole looked her with a shocked look on his face. Phoebe took a moment to recover.  
  
"I'll take that as no, you don't. You know, for a while now I've felt that there's something off about you." Phoebe paused, searching for words.  
  
"Off, how?" Cole asked  
  
Phoebe bit her lower lip as she chose her words carefully: "Off in a good way, don't worry. What I've noticed about you is a new confidence, a comfort level. Something very different from the Cole I knew. The aura around you demands respect, and shows that you have a strong sense of self- you know who you are, and you're comfortable with it. The Cole I knew was awkward, insecure. He always had a defeated posture, hunched shoulders. I could tell he was denying himself something, but not what exactly. He had a restless quality about him. I think that's why we started an affair. Of course, his shrew of a wife didn't help any..." Cole caught up Phoebe's wrist.  
  
"That's enough. You can go right ahead and insult me but leave Arianna out of this. She's a good woman. She's loving, and beautiful and caring. She is what is good in this world to me." Cole told her indignantly.  
  
"Tell me something Cole. Does a beautiful caring woman ask you to deny a part of who are? Does she brand all demons as bad, as evil things to be avoided at all costs? Is someone who truly loves you repulsed, and unaccepting of who you really are?" Phoebe paused for breath before continuing:  
  
"You what another reason the Cole I know liked being with me? I was showing him his true self. I was teaching him that he was a good man and a demon at the same time. I was showing him that his powers weren't curses like he, and that wife of his thought, but they were gifts used to help mankind." Phoebe finished.  
  
There was a deafening silence that lasted for at least five minutes. Cole didn't know what to make of it, this impassioned defense of himself, or the put-down of his 'wife.' 'I guess this guy isn't as lucky as I thought he was.' He gulped:  
  
"So what did you want this meeting for?" He asked his tone turned completely business-like.  
  
"I wanted to discuss the theory you had about Jason- the fact that maybe my ex-husband had some super-natural help. I wondered what you thought that might be?" Phoebe asked. Cole cleared his throat before answering:  
  
"I hadn't thought that far ahead, I was actually hoping that maybe you had some ideas." Cole responded Phoebe chewed her lip thoughtfully for a moment.  
  
Cole's voice took on a speculative tone: I think it may have been The Seer. I've had dealings with her in the past. She offers him unheard of powers; in exchange he takes down the Charmed ones, and gets his revenge on you. If that is the case, you will need the power of three." Cole answered.  
  
"There's just one problem though. The power of three hasn't existed for since Prue died 3 years ago." Piper said a note of sadness creeping into her voice.  
  
"What about Paige?" Cole asked, and the suggestion was greeted by twin blank looks from the sisters.  
  
"Who's Paige?" Piper, and Phoebe asked in unison. Cole groaned in response. 'This is going to be harder than I thought. I have to reunite the Power of Three, and figure out my own situation. Maybe they'll respond to a deal...' Cole thought.  
  
"I'll make you guys a deal, it's obvious I don't belong here, so I'd like you to help me figure out how to get back to where I do belong. In exchange, I will introduce you to Paige, and help you get your daughter back. Deal?" Cole proposed.  
  
"I'm in." Phoebe said immediately.  
  
"Alright I'm in too. It will be nice to have the power of three back again." Piper agreed.  
  
And so ends, another chapter in my crazy alternate world of Charmed.  
  
To get another chapter, please review- I only act upon constructive criticism.  
  
Peace out, and happy reading  
  
A.B. 


	8. Lessons Learned: Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Any character you recognize isn't mine. That about covers it.

Summary: See chapter 1

Authors Notes: 1. Yeah, I know it's been a long time; it's because of writers block.

2. "" Dialogue, '' thoughts

3. C.O.S.: Change of scenery

Lessons Learned: Chapter #8- Our universe

Phoebe paused at the doorway to the attic room and gazed at Cole. He was standing staring out the window. She wondered if the same calculating mind was inside him. She walked up and stood beside him in silence for a while.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked him.

"I'm thinking how easy it would be to forget about 'my world' as it were and to be perfectly content here and now with you. I'm thinking how easy it would be for me to get used to this new sense of empowerment and self-confidence I feel right now, and not go back. I'm thinking about how easy it would be to ignore my family and my friends and stay here." Cole answered.

"Were you that unhappy with your wife?" Phoebe asked him.

"I was beginning to be in a way. I still love Arianna, but somehow that love is changing. I gave it all up for her- the whole supernatural thing. She wanted a normal life, away from all of it. She couldn't accept it when we first met in high school, and never got used to it. She made me choose, either it was these new talents, or it was a life with her, free of magic and all manner of it. I was young, and optimistic- I thought that once she got to know me, she would accept all of me. I was wrong. Then we had Amelia and Alexander, and even though I knew it was denying a part of them I still didn't use my powers. Gradually, I settled into an ordinary family life and began to think of my powers less and less. It wasn't until I met Phoebe that I began to feel them again.

Phoebe shrunk physically and began to back away from where she was standing. She still wasn't used to that part- the fact that she was the one that was breaking his marriage up. It made her feel dirty. She knew she had done some not so nice things in the past for guys, but one thing she never do was get in the middle of a marriage. She began making her way towards the door; Cole noticed her sudden awkwardness and spoke up:

"Did I say anything to…"

"No it wasn't you. Trust me when I say it wasn't you." Phoebe cut him off, and smiled weakly.

"Dinner will be ready in 10 minutes." She tossed over her shoulder as she began making her way downstairs. He re-took his place by the window, wondering if she really did mean that it wasn't him.

Phoebe made her way into the kitchen and began counting out silverware and plates, then took them and set them around the dinning room table. She made her way back to the cabinet where the glasses were kept and counted those out as well.

"You're strangely quiet all of a sudden, is there anything wrong?" Piper observed, while she was mixing up the salad.

"No, nothing's wrong, I just feel like being quiet." Phoebe replied, setting the glasses around the table. Piper was silent; she knew that if she pushed Phoebe, she wouldn't talk.

"Why do I let him do this to me? Why do I let myself like him? After all he has done to me, done to my family; any normal person would hate the man. But no, not me. I have to fall in love with him; I have to break up his marriage." Phoebe finished ranting.

"Oh sweetie, that's what this, is about. You didn't break up his marriage. I know you wouldn't do a thing like that. You have to remember that he's not this Cole, and it always takes two, he chose to cheat on his wife. The fact that it was you was just a coincidence." Piper glanced at the oven and said:

"Now I think our dinner is done. Let's eat it's not nice to keep a pregnant lady away from her food." Phoebe cracked a smile and carried the salad into the dining room table. Leo made his way to the oven to take out the lasagna. He took into the other room and set it down on the table, then sat down next to his wife at one end of the table Phoebe sat down across the table next to Paige.

Cole came in and took the remaining chair. They ate in silence for a while.

"So Cole are you comfortable? Leo asked in an effort to make conversation. Cole swallowed his bite of food, before answering:

"Yeah I am. I just want to thank you for being so patient with me, and helping me out like this." He made eye contact with Piper, and Phoebe. Paige just glared at him. Piper was the first to respond:

"Well you considering the circumstances, you are right now an innocent and our job is to protect the innocents." At that comment Paige briefly turned her glare from Cole to Piper and back. The rest of the meal passed in silence. At the end of it, Cole rose from his seat and picked up his plate and made his way into the kitchen where he found Phoebe putting the leftovers into containers.

"You know I never meant to hurt…" Cole began.

"I know, trust me when I say it's not you. It's just…" Phoebe broke off trying to consider her words. She made direct eye contact with him:

"It's hard for me, to look at you right now. You look like Cole- the Cole that has threatened to kill me numerous times, the one that would do anything to keep me with him. To look at you, and to see you being so kind, so gentle, it's just hard for me to put the two together." Phoebe finally explained.

Cole was silent as he thought back to the picture in the penthouse, of the two people so in love. His thoughts drifted to him and his Phoebe. His voice grew quiet as he said:

"If the worst happens, and for whatever reason I am not able to go back to my timeline, I could be the man in the picture, I could fall in love with you Phoebe." She smiled weakly in response:

"I know."

Later that night…

As Phoebe was getting ready for bed, she pulled out a box of old photos, from when she and Cole had been happy. She took one out, in a solid frame and peered at it. They were so happy together, so in love with each other. She hugged the photo to her as she thought to herself: What happened to us Cole?

She then placed it tenderly on the dresser and went to bed.

Well that's it for this installment

Do you want more?

Please Review, this as do all my other stories, thrives on it.

Happy reading

A.B.


	9. Lessons Learned: Chapter 9

Disclaimer: If I owned the show Cole would still be on it, and he would be with Phoebe. But I don't, so boo hoo for me.

Summary: See chapter #1

Author's notes:

Refresher: Began this story based on some events in Centennial Charmed, as a way to bring Cole back from the dead.

"" Dialogue, '' thoughts

C.O.S.: Change Of Scenery

Italics: Letter/email

Chapter #9: Lessons Learned- Our Universe

Phoebe woke up the next morning, and gazed at the picture on her dresser. As she got dressed for work she uttered the same question with which she had fallen asleep: What happened between us? The answer was of course that she and Cole had drifted apart. The question followed: How had the drifted apart? That one was one that was harder to answer.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized that he wasn't the only one that allowed that to happen. Sure, he lied to her, lied to her sisters. He manipulated her at every turn and did harm to her family. But… She still found that she loved him, that she wanted him in her life more than anything. Wanted him so badly, that when he went wrong, when he did those unthinkable things to her, and her sisters, and regretted them afterwards she forgave him. Not only did she forgive him, but also she tried to change him into the man that would conform. If that meant giving up his powers, because he loved her he would do that.

And that! That was the problem. Cole without his powers was half a person. He was vulnerable not only to wounds of the physical kind, but to temptation and manipulation. The realization dawned on her that she had denied him part of himself, and that whatever actions he took afterwards, he was only trying to get that back. She continued with train of thought and realized that: he never felt good enough for her after his powers were taken away, no matter how much she reassured him that she loved him it was never enough. And so, they drifted apart. After taking one last glance in the mirror to make sure her makeup and outfit were perfect she took a last brief glance at the picture:

"What have I done?" She muttered out loud. Phoebe put on a happy face and mad her way downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast. As she neared the bottom of the stairs she took a deep breath:

"Yummy, I smell pancakes." Phoebe called out. She walked into the kitchen:

"You must have been up early." She remarked to Piper.

"I couldn't sleep very well. His child (she pointed to Leo) has been taking great pleasure in using its mother's kidneys as soccer balls." Piper responded. Leo came up behind her, and put a protective hand on belly and said:

"Okay little one, I told you that mommy's organs are not to be used as soccer balls. If you stop now, I promise you I will buy you your very own soccer ball." Leo told the baby. Before he could take his hand away the baby gave one last good kick.

"Bribery is such a wonderful way to raise a child." Piper commented sarcastically. Phoebe piled a plate high with pancakes and took her place at the table and began to eat, the conversation taking place around her.

"I'm going to teach Cole to shimmer today. He already knows a little bit about it so it shouldn't take that long." Leo said.

"Okay, but only in the house. I'm going to the club this morning, and then we have a doctors appointment at 2 pm." Piper reminded.

"Don't worry I haven't forgotten." Leo answered. Paige walked into the room:

"Good Morning mi familia, is everyone ready for another day of fighting evil?" Paige greeted, as she grabbed some pancakes and sat down.

"You seem rather cheerful this morning. Here's some coffee." Piper poured a cup for her sister. Paige took one sniff and noticed a difference, it was decaf: "Real coffee." She whispered, and the other coffee pot appeared in her hand. She took a sip and smiled:

" I am in a good mood, because I have a new placement this morning. I have a feeling it's destiny."

" Well good for you Paige." Leo said encouragingly. Phoebe meanwhile had finished her breakfast and rose:

"I have to get to work. Good luck with your placement Paige." Phoebe said, and walked out of the room, grabbing her briefcase off the hall table and left the house.

C.O.S: Newspaper.

Phoebe got to work late, and just as she walked in, the morning staff meeting was letting out.

"I know what the traffic was like on the way, so I'll give you a break. Get to work on that column though." Alyise said, noticing her making a beeline to her office.

"Thank you. And I will." Phoebe promised. She walked on into her office and set the briefcase on her desk. She looked at the mounting letters on it, and picked one out of the file and leaned back in her plush chair and began to read:

"_Dear Phoebe,_

_My long-term boyfriend is a junior partner in a law firm here in the city. _

_There is a spot open for a senior partner in New York, and his name is up for it. _

_He wants it, and is so excited when he talks about it. He would be good at it I know that._

_But I'm afraid that once in New York he will be too successful that he won't have time for me._

_I don't know that I want him to take it, but if I discourage him it would be like denying a part of himself._

_What should I do?_

_-Confused_

Noticing the parallel to her own life Phoebe turned on the computer and began composing a reply:

"_Dear Confused,_

_Talk to him about your doubts and fears regarding this. _

_Trust that your relationship is strong enough to survive whatever pressures this new position throws at you. _

_When he says that he loves you, trust him that he does, that he will always have time for you. _

_Whatever you do, do not discourage him from taking the position because that will be a sure way to lose him. _

_Remember: You'll be in New York! The shopping capital of North America._

C.O.S: Placement Agency

Paige approached the front desk and waited to be noticed. A few moments later her placement agent came up to her:

"Matthews. Today I want you at a daycare center out in the suburbs. It may end up being for a few days, but that is based on your performance today."

"Okay." Paige responded. She glanced down at the piece of paper that had the address written on it, and saw that it was near where she grew up. She made her way to her car, and drove up to the daycare center. 15 minutes later she pulled up in front of a rundown building. She looked up and noticed the hole in the roof, as she walked up to the double doors, and noted how one swung off its hinges. She entered the building to the sound of noisy children, and waited quietly until approached.

"Oh, thank god you're here. I thought the agency had forgotten about us. I'm Anna" A young black woman detached herself from the chaos around her stepped forward with a crying baby in her arms.

"I want to take them outside to a playground for a while. You can help me supervise." Anna instructed.

"Alright, and it's nice to meet you Anna. My name's Paige." Paige introduced herself. And then in a louder voice:

OKAY, ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO GO TO THE PLAYGROUND, LINE UP QUIETLY IN FRONT OF ME." The only sound for the next few minutes was that of pounding feet as all the children lined up eager to go outside.

Anna led the way out the door and down a tree-lined street towards a park at the edge of a wide meadow. The children spread out, some running up to the swings, others climbing on the climbers. Anna sat down on a bench and put on her sunglasses preparing to enjoy the day.

Following her lead, Paige headed to a bench under a tree on a hilltop where she could see everything. She was able to see the kids as they played from her angle, was able to make sure they all played nicely with one another. And true to form, the children, knowing they were being watched behaved perfectly. So she allowed her gaze to wander and noticed that two kids were playing quietly together in corner far away from the rest. Paige approached them, and crouched down to their level:

"Hi, my name's Paige. What are yours?" She asked. Twin pairs of blue eyes greeted her:

"Amelia, and this is my little brother Alexander." Amelia responded.

"What are you guys doing playing over here by yourselves?" Paige asked. The kids gulped.

"The-the other kids make fun of us because we have no daddy." Alexander supplied.

"Well that's not very nice." Paige responded. She paused as she noticed two spare swings on the swing set.

"Do you guys like the swings?"

"Yes." The two answer in unison.

"Okay, I'm going to take you over there and the three of us are going to play on the swings." Paige straightened up and took both their hands, and led them to the swing set. She placed the two of them on swings and began to push them gently. They seemed so sad, so lonely. 'They must have one hell of a childhood.' Paige thought to herself.

"So where do you two live?" She asked making small talk.

"With our grandmother. Our mommy visits us sometimes, but she doesn't live with us." Alexander told her.

"Oh, that's sad. I'm sure she loves you though." Paige replied. She made a mental note to ask Anna about their story later. Paige continued pushing them on the swings in silence.

"We want to go on the slide now." Amelia told Paige. Paige gently stopped both swings, and the kids hopped off and went over to the slide. Paige walked up and sat down beside Anna.

"You got those two out of their tree hideaway." Anna remarked smiling.

"Yeah, they wanted to go on the swings." Paige replied smiling. She let her gaze wandered over the kids again trying to figure out how to best approach her next topic. Anna looked at her watch and noticed the time. She climbed up onto the bench:

"It's time to go back to the daycare center and have lunch. Everybody buddy up." She called. Everybody lined up at where she stood on the bench. The group walked in silence. Once back, the children seated themselves in a circle on the floor while Anna and Paige went into a staff room and brought out a tray of Peanut Butter and Jam sandwiches.

"Don't worry about peanut allergies, they aren't allergic." Anna informed Paige.

"Good to know." Paige responded as she got out an assortment of orange and apple juice boxes. Each child got one. The children ate hungrily, and finished quickly. After cleaning up, Anna read them a story, by the end of which yawns were being heard.

"I'll take the younger children into their napping room, and you stay here. The older ones will colour and draw pictures." Anna told her, gently corralling the toddlers of the group.

The children sat around the low tables some with colouring books, others with white sheets of paper. Paige made her way around the classroom, checking on the drawings. 'Some of these kinds have real imagination.' She thought to herself, as she viewed drawings of a fierce green dragon, with flames, other kids drew pictures of their families, and some others drew drawings of princesses. Paige felt a tugging on her jacket, and looked down to be met by a blue-eyed gaze.

"Hi Amelia. What would you like?" Paige asked the little girl.

"I drew you a picture." Amelia led Paige to where she was sitting, and picked up the picture and gave it to Paige. Paige looked at it, and saw the drawing of the park, with the trees. Paige looked at it up closer and saw a stick figure with dark hair in the trees, with the word scrawled below it: Mommy.

"Thank you Amelia." Paige finally replied smiling. She walked away and took a closer look at the picture. The woman was oddly familiar to her, but Paige couldn't place it.

"Do you mind if I keep it?" She asked the little girl.

"Yes." Amelia replied.

"Thank you." Paige slipped the picture in her bag that she'd brought with her. She suddenly had a strong feeling that the two children with the bewitching blue eyes were the reason she was there. The rest of the day passed without event, it wasn't until the last child had been picked up that Paige finally had a chance to talk to Anna.

"Amelia and Alex are cute kids." Paige remarked.

"Yeah, they are. It's amazing they're so well-adjusted with their situation at home." Anna replied. Paige spotted her opportunity:

"What's their situation at home like?"

"Their dad just got up one morning, went to work and never came back. Their mom repeatedly insisted that he would come back, but the weeks stretched into months. About a month after he left the mother realized she was pregnant with Alexander. That's when she really became desperate. Her behavior became erratic, and moody, she would drop Amelia off at her mother's house and disappeared for days on end. After she gave birth, her mother spoke to her, convinced her to stay and raise the children. It worked, and their mom stayed put for a few years. But it started to happen again a few months ago. Their mom would go away at first for only a period of a few days. Her mother finally decided to file for custody of the children, and only recently succeeded. But their mother still has visitation rights." Anna explained.

"What's their mother's name?" Paige asked.

"Arianna. Arianna Huffington." Anna answered. Paige paused for a moment, shocked.

"I should probably head home. Would you like a ride anywhere?" Paige asked.

"No, I just live down the street. Thank you though." Anna responded. Paige made her way to her car and drove home. She arrived home, a connection between the children's mother and the Cole situation beginning to form.

"Piper!" Paige called out as she went through the door. Leo appeared:

"She's sleeping." He told her.

"Oh. Maybe you can help me instead. What was the name of the female demon we found at the house the other day?" Paige asked.

"She called herself: Arianna Matheny Huffington. Why?" Leo asked.

The connection crystallized at once in Paige's head.

To be continued…

Up Next: A journey into the other realm.

Happy Reading

-A.B.


	10. Lessons Learned: Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Don't recognize it it's mine.

Summary: see chapter #1

Author's notes:

1."' Dialogue, '' thoughts

2. C.O.S.: Change Of Scenery

3. Italics email

4. Thanks for being patient guys.

* * *

Chapter 10: Lessons Learned- Alternate Universe:

Magic was about balance: Good vs. Evil, angel vs. devil, Charmed ones vs. demons. The Charmed ones, were the ones chosen to fight the battle against the unseen forces in the universe, the good to the evil, the angels against the devils, whose purpose was to protect the innocents of this world. These two things Cole knew, and took to be certainties in his life, whatever role he played. Cole also knew that evil would win in a universe without them, it would run unchallenged- it had run unchallenged. It would happen no longer thanks to the promise he made to Phoebe and Piper, to reunite the Power of Three. He just had to find Paige first.

C.O.S.: Placement Agency

Paige Matthews was restless. She had quit her job as a social worker to look after her sick mother, and now her mother had died; she didn't know what to do with the rest of her life. Initially, she thought the placement agency was a good idea- she could try out a bunch of different fields, before finally deciding what she wanted to do as a career, but she was getting tired of the go-nowhere placements. She wanted to find her true calling, but nothing had seemed right.

Today it was yet another go nowhere position: a receptionist at a legal firm: Wyatt-Turner. She said it aloud a few times- it sounded stuffy to her ears, but from what she could learn of the firm, it was run by two youngish men, so that could excuse the name's rather stuffy sound. She strolled through the lobby whistling a tune, with a sudden feeling that maybe her luck was about to change. She continued whistling quietly to herself and entered a waiting area, decorated with a forest green, and plush grey seating. She was seated, and gazed out the window at the amazing view. A man with sandy hair, and kind eyes entered the area:

"Paige Matthews?" He addressed, questioningly.

"Yeah, that would be me." She confirmed.

"Leo Wyatt. I'll show you around, and then you can get to work. Your assignment here is only for… Leo glanced down at the top page of her employment file before continuing: a week."

"Yes, that's what I've been told." Paige replied. Leo began giving her the guided tour, a semi-circular shaped desk in the front area facing the glass doors, took her down the hall and showed her where his and Cole's offices were, and the conference room. They returned to the front desk and Leo left her to get settled with a reassuring smile, and went down the hall to his office.

A half hour later Paige glances up after finishing up the message she was writing and was greeted with a cool look from his blue eyes.

"May I help you?" She asked adopting a formal tone.

"Yeah. Do you have any messages for me?" He asked.

"Excuse me?" She said, a little puzzled.

"Oh, I thought Leo had already told you. My name is Cole Turner." Cole put his hand out for a handshake, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Paige Matthews." She put her hand in his. Cole regarded her intensely for a moment. Paige shrugged uncomfortably wondering if there was any reason for this intense scrutiny. She took her hand away, and swallowed:

"No I don't have any messages for you."

"I'll be in my office doing some case research, so just feel free to put any calls right through okay."

"Put any calls right through. Got it." Paige replied. He continued on into his office. The days passed comfortably for Paige; she would start work around 8, Leo would already be there working. Cole would come in around 10 or so, ask for any messages then go onto his office.

What was uncomfortable to Paige was the intense way in which Cole regarded her. She would feel his eyes on her as if boring a hole right through, and glance at him, then look away, other times it was merely the hairs on the back of her neck that stood up. The question of why was always on the tip of her tongue, but she was never alone with him long enough to ask it.

Finally on her last day at the firm Cole called her back to his office. He stood there half leaning against his desk regarding her in the same intense way that he usually did.

"Is there something you needed?" She asked.

"Are you doing anything after work?" Cole asked.

"No, I'm not. Why?" She answered.

"I want to take you out, and talk about your future with this firm. You seem to pretty good at this, and I'd like to keep you on. Gradually I'd like to expand your role as well to include doing case research." He proposed. Paige thoughtfully bit her lip.

"This sounds interesting actually. Okay, take me to dinner then?" She suggested.

"Okay, I'll see you later." Cole smiled at her, and she left. Cole sat back down at his desk and leaned back in his chair savoring the moment. His plan was to first get to know Paige, and earn her trust.

C.O.S.: Local Pub.

Cole and Paige were seated in a comfortable booth in the back. Paige opened her menu, and began studying it. Cole stole a glance at her then back at his own menu.

"Why do you do that?" Paige asked without even looking up.

"Do what?" Cole returned

"Look at me like that- so intensely, you've done it since we met on my first day." Paige replied.

"You remind me of someone I knew once..." Cole kept his answer vague. Paige looked at him suspiciously, and raised an eyebrow:

"That's something men say to their mistresses, not their employees."

"I am a happily-married man. Cole indicated the hammered gold band on his ring finger with a smile. He sat back, and noticeably relaxed.

"I think it's time we talked about my proposal. Would you consider staying at the firm?" He asked.

"I've thought about what you said this afternoon, and I admit I am interested. So, I want to take you up on the offer." Cole smirked:

"Excellent. Now enough about business, I want to hear something about you." Cole turned his gaze back on Paige.

"There's nothing to tell really. I graduated with a diploma in social work, and then I had to move back in with my mom to take care of her. She died about three months ago. Since then, I've not really been sure what I wanted to do with my life, so I signed up with a placement agency. And the rest as they say is history." They were quiet, and each took a sip of their drink. Paige glanced at his wedding ring:

"What about you? You're obviously married. Any children?"

"Two, a boy and a girl. Named Amelia and Alexander." Cole answered, idly playing with hammered gold on his hand.

"What about the lawyer bit?" Paige asked. Cole was silent as he considered what to tell her. He truthfully did not remember going to law school, and all he knew was what he was told- that he had met Arianna in high school and they married after college. He allowed an amused look to briefly appear as he considered the irony of what he was, a demon and a lawyer.

"It was in the family, my grandfather had a firm of his own, and it skipped a generation as my father wasn't interested so I was expected to go into law." He finally answered.

"Ah." Paige replied. They finished the evening in companionable silence, and left the restaurant. Cole looked at his watch:

"Want a ride home?"

"No, it's okay Mr. Turner. I'll just grab a cab." Paige answered.

"Alright then, I'll see you tomorrow. And Paige: call me Cole."

"Alright."

Cole walked to his car and drove off, leaving Paige alone. For her part, Paige decided to walk, and clear her head. It was extremely flattering to her, to have this obviously handsome, and powerful man taking an interest in her.

She smiled as she thought of him, he seemed so easy, so charming, one of those too good to be true guys. Paige thanked her lucky stars he was her boss, and made up her mind to do her best at this job, make it last.

C.O.S: Wyatt-Turner offices a few weeks later

Paige hummed softly to herself as she did the filing for the day. She grew more comfortable in the office by the day, and loved the extra work with Cole too. She glanced briefly up at the sound of footsteps in the hallway, and then turned back to what she was doing. She was disturbed again by the sound of the person clearing their throat.

"Welcome to Wyatt-Turner, how can I help you today?" Paige responded. Paige looked into Phoebe's eyes, noting their dullness, and allowed her gaze to take in the rest of her appearance, jeans that were frayed at the cuffs, and a shirt that was patched at the shoulders.

"I'm here to see Cole." She responded, her voice tired to match the appearance.

"Make yourself comfortable, and I'll tell him you here." Paige told her. Phoebe walked over and sat down on a chair. She shivered slightly, as she waited. Paige made the necessary motions to notify Cole then went back to work. A few moments later she glanced at Phoebe, and noticed that she was staring at her, and her hands were beginning to shake.

"Are you okay?" Paige asked.

"I'm fine. Just a little cold, that's all." Phoebe replied, attempting to smile. She rose as she noticed Cole walking towards the reception area.

"Great you're here. Ready for our meeting?" He greeted her. Phoebe smiled as she followed him down to his office. They busied themselves settling into their chairs. Once they were settled they were silent, Phoebe staring out the window. Finally Cole snapped his fingers to get her attention.

"She's special isn't she?" Phoebe asked.

Cole was truly puzzled:

"Who?"

"The receptionist. Just an aura I get around her, and powerful visions. She's had some pain recently hasn't she?" Phoebe asked. Cole was silent as he considered how to proceed. He finally decided that for once in his very long life he'd better go with the truth:

"Her name is Paige Matthews, and she's your sister."

TBC:

* * *

What will Piper's reaction will be?

How will Paige feel when she finds out that she is a Charmed One?

Give me a review, to find out the answers to these questions and more…

-A.B.


	11. Lessons Learned: Chapter 11

Disclaimer: The usual: Any recognizable characters don't belong to me.

Summary: Chapter #1

Author's notes: 1. I've had major writer's block with this one, brought on by the fact that I lost track of the show. But I'm gradually getting back into it again, and the DVDS are breaking it.

2. "" Dialogue, '' thoughts

3. Italics mean an email

4. 888: change of character

* * *

Chapter #11: Lessons Learned- AU

Phoebe took a couple of sips of water, and gathered her thoughts. She was shocked; the Cole Turner she knew, never would have acted this quickly, or confidently; he would have been timid- weighing everything; pro and con, and in the end he would have played it safe and either done nothing, or backed out of their deal. It was clearly not the way with this Cole; he was decisive, and confident; obviously he knew what he wanted and how to get it.

For her part, she was very uncertain. She felt an overwhelming need to protect her daughter from all the evil in the world, from magic. Since Prue died, it was a source of sadness, of tragedy- it had killed Prue, and destroyed her family; she asked herself regularly how any good could come of it; she knew that at some point she did do some good with her powers; she just wished she could remember when.

She knew as well, that magic was a part of her, and a part of her daughter's heritage, and that one day Alana would ask her why she was different; why she could see things, all her other friends couldn't; and Phoebe wouldn't say anything to her, accept to say that she was special. Phoebe also knew, that the time would come, when she'd realize that magic was a part of her; and the power of three, really did have a role to play. Maybe it had come already, and that was the reason why she made the deal with Cole.

"I'm… surprised, that you moved so quickly on this. I thought you'd take your time, make sure she's for real, that she's the one." Phoebe began the conversation. He shrugged his shoulders, non-committal:

"I know what I want, and how to get it." Phoebe narrowed her eyes:

"Does she know?"

"No. She doesn't; originally, she came here on a temp job, but she's staying to work here on a permanent basis." Cole answered. Phoebe nodded considering this latest bit of information.

"How do you know she's the right one?" Phoebe asked.

"In the other timeline, Paige meets up with you and Piper shortly after Prue's death. Believe me, when I say this Paige looks remarkably like the Paige in the other timeline." Cole responded.

"What's her background?" Phoebe asked, still doubting.

"Adopted; she grew up in a very happy home. She trained in social work, but has recently had to quit her job and take care of her dying mother. Her mother recently died, and she's back out in the workforce. She thought she'd try something new, so she signed up with a temp agency; and the rest they say is history."

" She was adopted from…"

"The catholic church near the manor. The nun that handled it is still there, and would likely remember something about it." Cole finished.

Phoebe sat back and sipped some more water; he was forcing her to question him to the point of interrogation- it had never been this hard with the Cole that she knew; he was open, and shared every last detail of what he knew. The very idea of her questioning him like that indicated to her, that perhaps he was hiding something, he could even have been making it up.

She acted on her first impulse: that he was hiding something:

"Is there anything else you want to tell me about this?" She asked. He sighed:

"There is, but you'd only believe that I'm telling the truth if you had some proof of it."

"You mean, if I start from the church." She replied, then took a deep exasperated breath:

"Cole, I don't have that kind of time; you know that- you're handling my case. To trace the adoption will take time."

Cole moved from behind his desk, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. He spoke in a reassuring manner:

"It's well-worth the effort." She met his gaze, and saw the reassurance in it. She also saw a hint of confidence behind it, and that was what gave her much-needed strength. She briefly glanced at her watch, and shrugged off his hand and stood up:

"I have to go pick Alana up from daycare." Cole followed her to the door and held it, and she walked through it:

"It's okay, I can find my own way out." She hurried down the hallway without a backward glance, as she neared the door she glanced back at the receptionist; one aura had somewhat dulled, but the second was still brightly burning.

"It was nice to meet you." Paige called out, to Phoebe's disappearing back. She glanced back down at the computer screen she was typing at- a case summary for Cole.

* * *

C.O.S.: Phoebe/Piper's apartment

Phoebe stomped through the door muttering under her breath. She followed her nose to the kitchen and found Piper stirring a pot of soup on the stove, and sunk into a chair. Alana peeked her head around the corner:

"I made you a picture Auntie Piper." She presented it to Piper, who took one look at it, and at once noticed the bright colours. She bent down the level of her niece:

"That's very pretty, I'll just put it up on the fridge. Why don't you go change into your play clothes, and play with your dollies."

"Okay." Alana put her arms around Piper, who returned the hug. The little girl left and went into her room. Phoebe waited until she heard the sound of her daughter's bedroom door close before speaking.

"It was the first thing she showed me when I put her in the car seat today. I was so shocked, that I didn't quite know what to tell her. Piper she's seeing auras, and she's only 4!" Phoebe said.

"That just means she's going to powerful when she grows up. Remember; our powers were bound by the time we were that age. Of course it'll be different for her. Would you rather have her powers bound as well?" Piper patiently explained to her sister. Phoebe was silent as she thought for a moment:

"No. It was a shock when we found out that we were witches. I don't want that for her. It's just; I never wanted this for her Piper; I wanted a life free of magic of demons for her. I wanted her to grow up safe; never fearing for her life." There was a pause in the conversation, as Piper turned away from Phoebe to stir the soup. She took the wooden spoon and tasted it. She reached for the saltshaker and shook it once, then briefly stirred the pot. She turned back around to face her sister:

"How'd the meeting go today with Cole?" Piper noticed her sister's demeanour change, as Phoebe stared unfocussed ahead of her.

"What did I see in him?" Phoebe asked. Piper struggled for words:

"You were once friends; that's probably part of the attraction. It helps, that he's good-looking, and apparently successful. It's easy to fall for somebody like that."

"Yeah." Phoebe answered, her tone betraying the listlessness she felt. Piper let the silence stretch for a few moments, and then Phoebe broke it herself:

"There's a new receptionist at his office, I walked in, and took one look at her, and was immediately assaulted by visions, and auras. The aura around her was a blinding white; I managed to take a seat, and after a few seconds Cole came out and brought me back to his office. He poured me a glass of water, and between sips I questioned him about her. He told me that her name is Paige Matthews, and she's our sister." Phoebe paused to take a deep breath.

"Wow, he moves fast." Piper dryly commented.

"That's what I said too. Paige- she was adopted from a church near the manor; she grew up in a very happy home. She was a social worker, but had to quit her job in order to take care of her mother. Her mother died a few months ago, and she figured she'd try something new so she signed up with a temp agency. And that's how he found her." Phoebe finished.

Piper quickly considered the implications: the power-of three back together. She was becoming more comfortable with the idea as the days past. As much as she wanted a life that was not magical, she realized that she couldn't live her life in denial like that; it was only a matter of time before she was in a situation where either she would be tempted to use her powers; or would actually use them in defense of either herself or the innocents around her.

"We have to start at the church, and trace the adoption, find out if she's for real first. Then we go from there." Piper planned quickly.

"I haven't got that kind of time. Not with the trouble I'm in; I should be spending my time with Alana, and on my own defense." Phoebe replied. Piper took a seat in the chair opposite her, and grasped her hand:

"Phoebe, honey. I know, after all of what's happened in the last year to our family, you want to hide from magic. It's tempting, and I'm just as tempted to do it as you are, but we can't. Magic, as much as we try to deny it, is a part of us; and as much bad as it has done to our family, we can do just as much good with it. You need to remember that."

"I'm just scared Piper." Phoebe admitted.

"I know sweetie. We'll start tomorrow, and do it together." Piper responded. And she gathered her sister into a hug.

* * *

C.O.S.: St. Catherine's Catholic Church-

Piper neatly parked the car and she, and Piper slowly made their way across the church parking lot and went inside. They paused for a moment to get their bearings, and entered the church proper. They made their way down the main aisle to a priest, standing at the altar quietly tidying up after mass. They stood respectfully silent, waiting for him to finish, and recognize them. He carried a heavy goblet from a table to their right, and looked at them as he passed, nimbly climbing two steps up to where he carefully stored it away in a case. He shut the case, and straightened up, making his way back towards the bar where, Piper, and Phoebe stood.

"Just putting away the communion cup. It was an unusually busy mass this morning for a weekday mass." The priest folded his hands awkwardly in front of him, and gave a smile of welcome to the two women.

"What can I do for you two ladies today?" He was direct.

"We'd like some help in tracing an adoption." Phoebe began; Piper was quick to take up the thread:

"We think, that 22 years ago, our mother had a child. And for whatever reason, she gave it up to you guys for adoption." A flicker of recognition went over the priest's face:

"You're name's Halliwell, isn't it? You live in that beautiful manor just up the street. Your family's always been very generous to this church."

"Yes. We've had to move out of the manor; we couldn't afford the upkeep of it." Piper answered, the sadness showing in her voice.

"I'm not the one that usually handles the adoptions. You're probably looking for Sister Cecila; I'll just go and get her." The priest walked away down the aisle and out the door of the chapel. Piper made her way to a pew, and sat down, Phoebe followed her lead and sat next to her.

"Prue would love this." Piper started the conversation.

"Yeah, she would. She would love the sense of peace you'd get from it." Phoebe replied. She thought for a moment:

"What would she say if she knew that we were continuing the power of three? Because, I've got to say, it feels like we're betraying her."

Piper turned to look directly at her sister:

"I know it feels a little awkward. But we're not betraying Prue; she would want us to go on with our lives. And if that means, we've found another person to form the power-of-three; I'd have to believe that she'd want that."

The both looked up at the sound of footsteps, echoing through the empty church. A middle-aged woman approached them:

"You're name's Halliwell?"

"Yes, it is. We're trying to trace an adoption from 23 years ago." Piper supplied the answer. The nun sighed:

"A baby girl was dropped off here, by a woman. I remember it so well because people never drop children off here; it's widely known that if we were to handle any adoptions it would be through the abbey just outside of the city. She was very sad to part with the little one; the baby cried. I asked her why, she answered that the baby was a product of an affair, and that if her husband ever found out about it… She ended up leaving the baby here; the only request was that the child's name begins with a "P." I ended up caring for the child for a few days while a home was found, and that was the last I'd heard. "

Piper rummaged around in her purse and found her wallet, taking out a photo of the three girls and their mother she carried around with her, and showed it to the nun:

"Is this the woman?"

"Yes. I remember her so well; she loved the baby so much- I could see it written all over her face. She also appeared as if she could afford to raise the child, and I wondered why she was giving it up."

Phoebe placed a comforting hand on the older woman's shoulder:

"Thank you Sister, you've been very helpful." The nun moved to leave, and paused mid-stride. She fumbled awkwardly in the pockets of the apron covering her dress:

"There is one last thing though; the baby was wrapped in this." She produced a pink blanket with the letter P, on it. "The family who adopted the child felt it was better to leave it."

"May we see that for a minute?" Piper beckoned to the blanket:

"Yeah, just come down to the office with it when you're done. I must be going back to work." She gave it up to Piper, and left the room.

"It's the blanket Grams made each of us, and it can only mean that he's right." Piper uttered the two simple words; the last ones Phoebe wanted to hear. She sighed heavily:

"Where do we go next?"

"We go to the manor, and look for clues there." Piper answered.

* * *

C.O.S.: The Manor

They drove up to the manor, and parked along the street. On the outside, the house had the usual signs of neglect: chipped paint on the shutters, an overgrown front lawn, weeds growing in the flowerbeds. They made their way to the front door, and noticed cracked cement on the driveway, and the stairs. Piper took the keys from her purse, and opened the door. They stepped into the entryway and stopped, gazing around at the all-to-familiar surroundings:

"It's like we never left." Phoebe remarked. Piper sniffed:

"Or will be, as soon we get the windows open, and fresh air in here." Piper led the way into the living room, throwing open the curtains, and allowing the sunshine to enter the room.

They made their way in silence upstairs to the doorway, which, led to the attic. Phoebe put her hand on Piper's arm:

"You go on ahead, I have something I want to do here first." Understanding flashed across Piper's face:

"Take all the time you need sweetie, I got it covered." Piper disappeared through the door and upstairs.

Phoebe meanwhile, opened the middle door on the left side of the hallway and with a deep breath went in. It was all how she left it: her bed, still made from the day she left, the dresser; still standing in its place, with her usual stuff on top of it; jewelry boxes, single framed pictures of her and her sisters; of her and friends at college. A second deep breath steadied her nerves, as she opened the drawer and took out the single photo album that remained there, and smiled sadly to herself as she noted the label: 'Our Wedding Day.' She remembered how she felt when she first realized that she had forgotten it here; Jason had sighed and said: Oh well, we'll pick it up eventually. Then Alana was born, and she became a mom; mom's Phoebe quickly found out, didn't have time to be witches, so she spent less, and less time at the manor- days became weeks; the weeks turned into months. Prue died, and Piper quickly found she couldn't spend her spare time away from the restaurant alone in the manor with the memories; so she left, leaving Phoebe with no reason to return.

She positioned herself comfortably on the bed, and opened the book. The first picture was of the two of them taken at their engagement party; they were looking longingly into each other's eyes. She remembered being very much in love with him that day; he could do no wrong- this suave, sophisticated newspaper magnate; dressed up in a suit, and tie. He was very able to dazzle the women there with his charm, and compliments- every bit the gentleman, even managing to get parental approval.

She flipped through some more pages, finding the more formal pictures of the bridal party, and the groom with his groomsmen. Then she stopped again at a photo taken by a guest of the moment they first kissed as man, and wife. She remembered how that felt in that moment; nobody else in the world existed for them but each other. She wanted that one single moment to last forever. She rubbed brushed her lips, as she remembered the exact feeling of his lips.

"What happened to us?" She whispered to the picture.

"We fell out of love, you pretended to be something you weren't. Couples fall in and out of love all the time, and we shouldn't be any different; but we are, and you know why Phoebe."

Phoebe looked up from her photo album in shock; she gulped:

"How did you get in?"

"How do you think?" Jason answered her question, with a question, and allowed his eyes to flash completely dark, and back to their normal blue.

Phoebe replied with defiance in her voice:

"What have you come here to do? Threaten to steal my child? Fire me? Sue me for some trumped up charge? Call me a whore- no wait, you've already done that last one, so it's not that last one."

"I don't want to hurt you Phoebe." Jason replied.

"It's too late for that Jason," Phoebe answered; sadness colouring her tone.

"You killed my brother." Jason stated the fact.

"He called me a whore, and you did nothing. He tried to kill me, and you did nothing, he came into my home and insulted my skills as a mother and you did nothing." Phoebe angrily replied.

"I'd just found out that virtually my entire marriage was based on a lie. My wife wasn't whom she told me, and my daughter: well let's just say god knows what my daughter will turn into. You'd have been downright foolish to expect the red carpet after dropping that little bombshell." Jason replied, his tone rising in kind.

Phoebe stood up, her voice showing increased intensity:

"Do you know that sometimes when I casually touch people; sometimes through brushing fingertips, other times through handshakes, that I can get visions. In that one tiny instant; that one fraction of a second I can see who they woke up next to that morning; I can feel, what they felt while they watched their mother die? If you would have bothered to stop your self-indulgence and at least try and imagine that, I'd like to think, or imagine that maybe you would be approaching this a lot differently."

Jason placed his hand on her arm:

"I don't want to hurt you Phoebe."

"Then take your hand off my arm." Phoebe told him. His grip tightened, and there was a brief moment of silence before Phoebe spoke with increased force:

"I told you to take your hand off my arm. Now you're blocking my way out, so let me pass." They locked gazes, and were silent. Phoebe observed a flicker of doubt on Jason's face.

"The lady told you to take your hand off of her, now I suggest you do as she says." A third voice entered the conversation. Jason turned his head to discover that Cole had entered the hallway from the stairs, and was now standing behind him. The momentary distraction was all Phoebe needed to grab hold of the album, and hit Jason over the head with it. Jason fell toward Cole, who picked him up and started back towards the stairs:

"Paige is downstairs, go get Piper."

Phoebe moved to respond, climbing the remaining stairs up to the attic room. She entered to a scene that had Piper standing with her arms crossed over her chest, and looking towards the circle, holding the apparitions of their Grams, and mother.

"Piper sweetie what's the matter?" Grams asked.

"I'm just trying to wrap my head around it all. You're saying that you had an affair, with your White Lighter! How could you do that to Dad?"

"Now, wait just a minute: your father and I were technically broken up at the time; we hadn't been living together for 6 months. I would not call that cheating," their mother defended herself.

"He never stopped loving you." Phoebe spoke, as she moved to stand beside Piper. Their mother gave a sad smile in response.

"I thought it was against the rules for White Lighters, and witches to be together." Phoebe stated.

"It was; we had to be careful. That was why I had to give her up for adoption- it could never be found out that a child came of our union." Their mother wistfully explained.

"We've been doing some digging, and we know; we have the proof. Phoebe showed them the pink blanket with the letter P on it. The women smiled, at the blanket.

" She's actually sitting downstairs, with my lawyer of all people. Her name's Paige; and before you ask, yes- she grew up in a happy home, with parents that loved her. She's a social worker by trade, but has recently become unemployed due to an illness, and a family death. She's been working for a temp agency, and came to my lawyer's attention when she came to work for him." Phoebe explained.

"Speaking of Paige, we should get going downstairs. Cole's likely here by now- I called him." Piper remarked.

"Before your mother, and myself disappear I have one final message for you both from Prue; She wants you to not only carry on the tradition, but to be happy. You're not betraying her if you reunite the power of three, you are honouring her. She will always be looking out for the two of you, and she loves you both." Grams told them. There was an extended silence in the room, before Grams broke it:

"We really must go." The two apparitions faded away.

"Good-bye my darlings." Their mother's voice echoed. Phoebe, and Piper looked at each other for a long moment before speaking.

"Well that was…" Piper began.

"Yeah. We really should…" Phoebe finished.

"Yeah." Piper acknowledged. She grabbed the blanket, and Phoebe led the way downstairs.

"Do we have any idea how we're going to break this to her?" Phoebe asked.

"I was thinking blunt honesty would be best; there really is no great way to tell someone they're a witch." Piper answered.

"What do we do, if she doesn't believe us?" Phoebe questioned.

"We ask Cole to help us give her a little demonstration." Piper responded, relishing the thought of blowing him away. They stopped before the doorway to the living room, and surveyed the scene: Cole standing quietly surveying the scene outside, while Paige gazed around the room puzzlingly. Paige stood up:

"I've been trying to ask tall, dark, and broody over there what I'm doing here, and he won't answer, other than to say it will wait for Piper, and Phoebe. You're here, I'm here so let's get to it."

Piper decided to respond to blunt honesty, with blunt honesty:

"You're a…"

Phoebe cut her off:

"going to need to sit down before we get to the reason for your presence here."

Paige sat down, with Phoebe, and Piper following her lead. Piper started off:

"You're adopted right?" Paige nodded in response.

"We have evidence; no wrong word. Strong indications, that you are our sister." Piper continued.

"Half-sister to be exact. We share the same mother." Phoebe quickly added.

"And you know those stories about witches living here?" Phoebe asked, and Paige nodded her response. You couldn't help but hear some rumours about this house.

"They're true." Piper cut right to the chase. Paige started chuckling; the sound drew Cole back into the room from his watch-post at the window.

"Witches! You mean they exist, they actually live. The broomstick-riding, pointy-hat wearing kind of person; come on, you guys are just yanking my chain." Piper nervously quipped:

"Our broomsticks, are in the closets upstairs." She was instantly serious again. Paige's laughter went from chuckles to outright belly-laughter, until suddenly she stopped laughing, as she realized that the rest of the group wasn't laughing with her:

"The next thing you guys are going to tell me that demons exist." Paige caught the meaningful glance shared between Phoebe, Piper, and Cole.

"We should probably give you a demonstration." Piper suggested. Paige was at an angle to be able to see through the doorway into the front hall.

"What's that?" She asked. Piper quickly glanced at Cole, who followed her into the foyer. A demon with scales on its face had entered the area. Paige watched with awe as Cole threw a ball of fire, and Piper threw her hands in front of her. The effect was enough to make the demon blow up:

"Didn't take them long," Piper muttered to herself.

Paige looked directly at Cole: "If the two of them are witches, then what does that make you, some kind of sorcerer or something?"

"No, it makes me a demon."

"A demon, and a lawyer; who'd have thought." Paige dryly remarked.

"Yeah." Cole acknowledged.

"That's only half of it." Phoebe began,

"We have White Lighters; they're a kind of magical guardians. They teach us about our powers, advise us on how to beat the demons. Our mother fell in love with her white lighter, and you were born. She gave you up for adoption, because it's rather frowned upon for witches to fall for their white lighters. She was afraid that demons would find you, or that elders would find out, so she bound your powers, as ours were bound, and put you up for adoption." Piper finished the explanation.

Paige was silent for a long time. At last she stood up:

"I-I need some air." She struggled to her feet, and pushed her way out of the room. Phoebe moved to follow, but was stopped by Piper:

"Sweetie, let her go. She needs some time to digest it all."

88888888888888888

Paige walked down to the sidewalk, and away from the house. Her parents had acknowledged she was adopted, told her about it years ago; and being the loving parents they were, loved her despite it all. It still didn't erase the fact, that no matter how loving her parents were, she still felt as if she didn't belong anywhere. If she was honest with herself, she was always looking for where she belonged. 'Today I've found it, in a big way,' she wryly thought to herself. She found that she wasn't nearly as shocked as maybe she should be; finding out demons, and witches really existed wasn't nearly as big a deal to her as it could be; she always kept an open mind, and always on some level knew something more existed in life.

She stopped, as she realized she was near the church, and made her way back to the manor; she felt a peace she hadn't known for ages, as if this was where she should be; at this house with these women. She approached the manor with a new perspective; she would be open-minded, but still planned to question them. She knew that would be the best approach. She opened the door, and quietly entered the house to the sound of Cole's voice echoing from the living room, and she followed the sound into the living room where she found the three of them where she left them; sitting down talking. They were silent as she entered the room, and waited patiently for her to be the first one to speak, which, after some time she did, with a new resolve:

"Okay, I've thought about it, and I think I can accept what you're trying to tell me here. But, I still would like to ask a couple of questions. If I am, who you say I am, then what kinds of powers do I have? And why do we find each other now of all times?"

"White Lighters are a type of angel. They have the power to heal, orb, and call objects to them. They are teachers; they teach witches, and others like themselves how to use and control their powers." Phoebe answered for them.

"As for why we found each other now; your guess is as good as ours." Piper quickly added.

"You're saying that if I opened my hand and said the object it would appear." Paige repeated.

"Just try it; that's all we can ask for. If not, we'll leave you alone- we promise." Piper replied. Cole moved to the drawer of the china cabinet and pulled out an empty vase; Paige extended her hand mimicking Phoebe's gesture.

"Vase." Nothing happened. Paige grew determined and repeated the process:

"Vase," and still nothing happened.

"Sometimes, new powers work better in high-pressure situations." Cole supplied.

"Somehow, I'm not too crazy to try that way out. I'd really rather make sure my powers work before I'm ever in a pinch, and need to use them thanks" She sarcastically answered.

"Come with me." Cole requested, placing a hand on Paige's back to lead her out of the room. Phoebe, and Piper were in hot pursuit.

"Cole, where are you taking me?" She asked, not that alarmed. It became fairly evident as they came through the kitchen, and stopped at the back door. He opened it and they went out to a yard that was overgrown as the front. After they were outside, he dropped the hand that was on her back, back down to his side, and walked the length of the yard. She noticed his demeanor change, the minute he turned, and stopped where he was. She watched with horror as a ball of flame appeared in his hand. Without a word of explanation, he threw it in her direction. She dove, and it missed her singing the side of the manor. She stood up again,

"You're a lawyer, you're supposed to defend the innocent, not fry them." He responded by taking a step closer to her, and throwing another fireball. She closed her eyes, as she felt the heat fly past her. When she opened them again, she found she was sideways on the floor behind Piper and Phoebe.

"Ouch, that landing hurt. What happened? One minute I was diving to the ground, the next I was here on the floor."

"You know those powers we talked up earlier? You used them. When Cole threatened you just now, you orbed away from it." Piper explained. Paige looked puzzled:

"The fear must have triggered something that unbound your powers. Try what we did in the living room again." Phoebe explained, and looked at her encouragingly. Paige repeated what she did before, only this time with different results. The clear plastic vase appeared in her hands, and she looked at it with awe.

"I guess…" Paige began.

"You really are one of us." Piper finished. Paige smiled:

"Yeah, I guess I am." They both looked up at the sound of a closing door, and footsteps. Moments later, Cole entered the room.

"You just tried to kill me." She stated incredulously.

"It was the only way. You needed a high-pressure situation where there was nobody else around protecting you, and this was the best I could do." Cole calmly explained.

"Using that twisted logic, and our limited time; you're likely right, it was the only way." Piper agreed with him. Paige put an arm around each of her sisters:

"Ladies, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"It may not be, if you keep lines like that up." Piper commented.

* * *

C.O.S: Jason's apartment:

"I thought we'd agreed you weren't ready." The seer's voice greeted Jason as he stepped into his apartment:

"_We_ agreed on nothing; _you_ told me that I wasn't ready. I felt differently, and so I went to see Phoebe." The Seer surveyed Jason:

"And paid the price for it. Cole is far more powerful that you think; it is important not to underestimate him." Jason shrugged:

"Now what?"

"The partnership formed today is delicate at best; we take steps to assure that it breaks."

"And how do we do that?" Jason asked

"I think you know how." The seer cryptically answered, as she disappeared.

* * *

Thanks for waiting for the update. Let me know you liked it, by simply reviewing it.

-A.B.


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